When Hope Seems Hidden
by musiclover1416
Summary: Trying to save your own life is one thing. Trying to save the lives of others you value more than yourself, that's another. Join Peter and the rest of the Pevensies as a small journey turns into an adventure they'll never forget. Set in the Golden Age.
1. Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia; C.S. Lewis deserves all the credit. :)

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When Hope Seems Hidden

~Peter's Point of View~

**Chapter 1:** Trouble

The wind whipped across my face and my surroundings turned into a blur as I raced my siblings on horseback towards Cair Paravel, though we were miles and miles away. We were returning back from some official business in the Northern Marsh, near Ettinsmoor –problems with those giants again- and the four of us decided to have a little fun on our way home. We didn't get quite as much free time as we used to, so we were taking advantage of the small chunk of it that we had now.

"Lucy, be careful; I don't want you falling off of your horse or anything," I called out. Lucy was the youngest of my siblings and I had always felt compelled to keep her safe.

"Oh Peter, do stop worrying so much. I'm fine!" she assured, throwing a smile in my direction.

Susan, a year younger than I, was in the lead for the time being. Edmund, two years older than Lucy, was in a close second. I was in last, just because I enjoyed watching all of them in front of me. They all seemed to be having a most delightful time, seeing as though I could hear a bit of laughter escaping from each of their lips. The four of us were all kings and queens of a land called Narnia, a land in which I was proud to call my home. I couldn't believe it had been only a few years since Aslan had defeated the White Witch and made Narnia a free county again, leaving us four children in charge, and I as the high king.

I was only just now seventeen, my birthday being last month. I smiled as Edmund said something funny, making Susan and Lucy giggle. Ed had always been the witty one of the bunch; he constantly said something that could make you laugh, or on the other hand, something that could quite possibly get on your nerves. He knew how to be serious when he needed to be, though. Overall he was a good and faithful brother, and I could depend on Edmund for nearly anything.

Susan was normally the most practical one out of us. She would worry sick about you for one moment, and then the next she would scold you for doing something she claimed to be utterly foolish. Edmund was usually the one she ranted at the most, but I had my times with her. Truly she was very good and gentle at heart, and she only yelled because she was honestly concerned.

My youngest sibling, Lucy, was as free-spirited as one could get. She had faith that could move the mountains that stood between Narnia and Archenland, and she had a heart as pure as gold. She saw the good in everything and everyone. She would never harm a human being, or even an animal, for that matter, unless she absolutely had to. Lucy and I were very close; she looked up to me and I tried to be the best brother I could to her, as well as to all of my siblings.

I was beginning to notice that the sun was growing exceptionally warm today; I was breaking out into a sweat. Oreius would have made sure that we had rested by now; he had always been rather peculiar about things like that. He was our war general, and he could be quite overbearing when it came to my siblings and I's health and safety. In all honestly, I felt a bit relieved that he didn't join us on our journey this time. Every once in a while the four of us had the chance to go away and work out our country's problems without the royal guard. This was one of those fortunate times, as we liked to call them. My siblings and I enjoyed having the freedom to do things the way we wanted to instead of having the guards watch out for us every waking moment of the day. Oreius, of course, was a bit hesitant when we told him we wanted to go alone, but eventually he let us be.

"Let's do slow down a bit; it's becoming rather hot out," Susan put in. I agreed and began to pull on the reigns of my horse, Bill, when suddenly a sharp pain struck my left shoulder. I gasped, the sting nearly taking my breath away. I turned and saw an arrow cleanly lodged in my skin. I gingerly pulled it out and yelled,

"Run! We're being attacked!" The three turned and looked at me, noticing my blood-stained tunic.

"Peter!" Lucy screamed. Within a second Susan had out her bow and arrows and Edmund had unsheathed his sword. I placed my hand on the hilt of Rhindon, but then another pain entered my shoulder. I pulled out an arrow that was almost in the exact same spot as the first projectile. I clenched my teeth. The injury felt like it was on fire and my head started swimming, making me feel quite disoriented. Suddenly Bill made a loud noise as his knees buckled and he toppled forward. I caught a glimpse of an arrow sticking in his side just before I tumbled off of my trusted steed. I landed harshly on the solid ground, feeling yet another sharp pain. This time, though, no arrow had penetrated my skin.

My world spun as I began to roll sideways, killing my shoulder and whatever other injuries my body had already acquired. I heard someone yell my name, but I couldn't tell who it was; the voice sounded too in the distance. Something rock hard smashed against my right side, throwing me off guard. The pain became more evident where I was newly hit as I kept rolling; for some reason unknown to me I could not stop myself. My vision became too blurred to tell where I was going, and at this point in time I had absolutely no sense of direction. Then my back hit an object, followed by my head. My last thought was that I hoped my siblings would be okay, and then darkness overcame my senses.

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A/N: So, what do you think? Please review :)


	2. Obstacle

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia; thank C.S. Lewis for creating it and God for giving him the talent to think of it! :)

Hello! First of all, I would like to say thank you to my reviewers Kangaroo Jack :D and ilovetoread38. I really appreciate what you guys have to say! I'm glad you are enjoying it! :) For future reference, this story is written all in Peter's point of view. Peter is 17, Susan is 16, Edmund is 14, and Lucy is 12. I hope this answers any questions anyone might have. Well, here is the next chapter of When Hope Seems Hidden!

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**Chapter 2: **Obstacle

I became aware of a strange taste in my mouth. It wasn't blood; it didn't taste coppery or any of the sort. I was slowly returning to my bearings when the pain attacked me in an all-out battle. My side was throbbing with a passion. It felt as if someone had dropped a hundred pound weight right on top of it and then some. Every time I took in the slightest breath, it felt as if flaming hot arrows had pierced my skin. Both my head and back ached fervently, and my shoulder had a fading sting. I then felt a hand brush against my cheek.

"Peter, open your eyes," came a soft voice. _Lucy_, I thought. I didn't want to open them; it felt as if it would take too much effort.

"Aslan, please let him be okay," Edmund said, sending up a small prayer. Edmund… Lucy… they were all right? Where was Susan?

"Oh, Peter, do wake up," came a different voice. _Susan. _Well there was my answer. Today's previous events were slowly creeping back to my foggy memory. Was I the only one injured? Curiosity overcame me, almost as much as the pain. I let myself crack open one eye, and then the other. I couldn't make anything out. I opened them a slight bit more, but then closed them as the sun proved to be too bright for my liking. I decided at this rate I wouldn't get anything done. Eventually I allowed them to open partially and then blinked a few times. The brightness still hurt my eyes as they tried to adjust, but it wasn't quite as bothersome. I groaned. The first person I could make out was Lucy. Her eyes looked worried as they fixed themselves upon me.

"Peter!" she exclaimed. "How are you?"

I took in a small breath. "I'm fine," I answered. I was surprised at how weak I sounded. My side stabbed with pain after speaking, a sure sign of broken ribs. She stroked my hair away from my face, her fingers feeling rather cold against my warm skin.

"How's your shoulder?" she wondered.

I turned my head to look at my injury, a bout of dizziness meeting me. I took in a shallow breath, waiting for it to pass. I noticed that my shoulder had stopped bleeding and it wasn't troublesome anymore.

"Fine," I replied.

"Thank goodness Lucy brought her cordial," Susan pointed out. _So that was the taste in my mouth when I woke up,_ I thought. I turned my head back to my siblings, once again feeling a slight dizziness.

"Thanks, Lu," I said. She nodded. I took in a deep breath, but regretted it after my ribs disapproved. I hissed, tightly closing my eyes.

"Peter, I find it quite hard to believe that you are 'fine.' What's wrong?" Edmund asked, uneasiness in his tone.

"My ribs," I answered. Edmund kneeled down beside me and pulled up my shirt. He stared at my side for a long time, making me wonder if there was more to my injury than I thought.

"Well, some are definitely broken. I'm not sure how many, though," Edmund pointed out. He let go of my shirt, which fell back to its normal position.

"Is anything else wrong?" Susan inquired. I was sore everywhere, but I wasn't going to tell them that; they would worry too much. I had to be strong, anyway, for their sake.

"Just… my back and… my head. They… ache," I replied. I was surprised at how hard it was to actually say a sentence. It aggravated my ribs every time I said a word. I clutched them loosely, though it didn't do much good.

"You really hurt, don't you?" Susan wondered.

I shrugged, not wanting to waste my energy on speaking. My breathing felt very uneven; it was shallow and shaky due to my ribs.

"Peter, do you want more of the cordial?" Lucy questioned.

"No, thanks," I said. I couldn't use it; it was a sign of weakness, and I never knew when someone might need it more than I did.

"You really should take some. Besides, it's only one drop," Susan pointed out. Lucy nodded in agreement, her eyes pleading. I sighed, but then grasped my ribs due to the pain that erupted. I guess that was all the assurance I needed.

"Okay, but… just one drop," I caved in. I couldn't say no to my two sisters, especially when Lu looked at me that way. Lucy picked up the cordial and sat down beside me. I hated how I had to look up at all of them while they stared down at me; it didn't feel right. By now Lu had the top off of the bottle and was bringing it towards my mouth. A single drop fell out, hitting my tongue. I swallowed, the same exotic taste of the fire-flower juice filling my mouth. Instantly my headache subsided, as did my occasional dizziness. My back was better as well. Unfortunately, it did nothing for my aching ribs.

"Thank you, Lucy," I said. She smiled down at me. Susan lightly tousled my hair as a sign of her affection.

"Are your ribs any better?" Lucy wondered.

"No, sadly," I replied.

Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "In all the times I've used this cordial on someone, never has it denied any injury! This is so queer!" she declared. I thought it quite peculiar as well, but I decided not to think too much of it. This was just an obstacle that I would have to face.

"Well then, Peter, you can't keep your ribs like that for long. We'll need to wrap them up or at least do something," Edmund pointed out. I knew that was coming sooner or later.

"With what… Ed?" I wondered. I heard a ripping noise.

"Here, use this," Susan suggested, handing Edmund a small part of the bottom of her dress that she had just torn off.

"It would work, but Peter will need to sit up," Edmund explained. Of course, it would inevitably come to that. I was strong, but for the time being I wasn't quite sure of the extent of my abilities.

"I… I'll need help," I pointed out. I felt embarrassed to admit to it, but I didn't feel as if I could sit on my own, and I didn't want to hurt myself any worse by trying. Edmund scooted closer to me.

"I'll help, but tell me if you need to lie back down," he offered. He leaned down towards me and lifted up my arm. He placed it over his shoulder, bringing me closer to him. He slowly rose up, pulling me along. I cried out as my ribs didn't appreciate the sudden movement. It felt as if I couldn't breathe, the effort of trying to sit was too much strain on my side. I let out a quiet yell with what breath I could retrieve. Edmund stopped pulling me about halfway up.

"Can you handle it, or do you need to lie back down?" he asked.

"No, I'll… I'll be fine," I said between struggled breaths. Goodness I felt humiliated. I should be stronger than this.

"Susan, help," Edmund suggested. Susan rushed to my other side and put my arm over her shoulder, much like Edmund did. I yelled once more as I was finally upright.

"There we go, Peter, you're up," Susan coaxed. My breath came harshly, and black as deep as the night threatened to take over my vision. I wouldn't- couldn't -let myself succumb to the darkness. Susan stroked my hair while Edmund gave me a gentle pat on my arm. I knew they were just trying to keep me relaxed. My vision slowly returned to normal, and my breath came a little easier. I gave a weak smile to my siblings.

"Thanks," I said. They nodded.

"Susan, stay behind Peter and let him lean into you. Keep him upright while I wrap up his ribs," Edmund ordered. She edged herself behind me and I leaned backwards. I winced as my torso stretched out.

"Lucy, can you rip off a few pieces of fabric from the bottom of your dress for bandages?" Ed wondered. She nodded, already ripping some strips off. When she came up with five, Edmund said that was enough. I felt bad that both of my sisters had ruined their dresses for me.

"Thanks, Lucy. Now, can you keep him distracted while I wrap up his ribs? Hold his hand, talk to him, do something. Peter,"- he looked at me- "this is going to hurt; I won't lie. Let me know if you can't handle it," Edmund declared.

"I'll be okay, Ed. It's… going to hurt… regardless," I pointed out. Edmund sighed as Lucy took my hand, smiling. I returned the favor.

"You know, Peter, you're so brave, fighting through the pain like this. I wish…" I stopped listening to Lucy mid-sentence. Edmund pulled the bandage tight, throwing me off guard. I involuntarily squeezed Lucy's hand. All the air blew out of my lungs, along with a strange sounding groan. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. Lucy rubbed her thumb against my hand.

"I'm so sorry, Pete," Edmund apologized. I knew my brother was serious when he called me Pete; he was the only one to give me that nickname and he didn't say it very often.

"'S okay," I said. Edmund waited a moment to let me breathe before he started wrapping again. Lucy began speaking again, but then Ed pulled tight. This one was worse than the first. I yelled unintentionally, clearly in agony. Susan ran her fingers through my hair and Lucy squeezed my hand. I fell farther back into Susan.

"Whoa, Peter, stay up here," she said, pushing me slightly forward. I took in a shaky breath, trying to calm myself. Edmund gave me an uneasy look.

"I can stop any time, you know," he pointed out.

"I know… keep going. I'll be fine. Do only… what you can," I commented.

"I am, Peter, believe me. I'm so sorry I keep hurting you," Edmund explained.

"Don't worry about me, Ed. I'm… all right. Just… four more, right?" I wondered.

"Yes, that's the spirit. Now brace yourself," he warned. I exhaled lightly in a small, less painful sigh.

"You're doing great, Peter, really. Plus you saved our lives. If it wasn't for you yelling to us, we all could have been hurt or worse in that ambush today. Granted I wish it was me injured instead of you, but I can't reverse time. Anyways, thank you, for everything," Lucy declared. She smiled at me.

"Don't… thank me. I was just- ah!" I yelled, lurching forward. The pain was too intense, sending me forward as its dreadful punishment. I let go of Lucy's hand so I could clutch my burning side, which hurt even worse because it was bent. Edmund put his hands on my shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze before slowly pushing me back to Susan.

"Breathe, Peter, relax," he stated. I felt Susan run her hands up and down my arms as I tried to do what Edmund suggested. Lucy's thumb stroked my cheek, wiping off some of my sweat in the process. I laid my head against Susan's shoulder and closed my eyes. Slowly I removed my hand from my side and Lucy took it again.

"Are you ready, Peter?" Edmund inquired. I nodded. The sooner he did this, the sooner it would be done and over with. A few moments later, I felt the same tugging sensation I did every other time. I tightened my grip on Lucy's hand and hissed into Susan's neck, closing my eyes. This one wasn't as bad as the others, but it still hurt significantly.

"Two more, Peter," Edmund informed me. Just two more times, I told myself. I opened my eyes and saw Susan staring intently at me. She must have been worried sick. I think they all were. I opened my mouth to tell her I was okay, but the only thing that escaped was a yell. Edmund had pulled tight once more. I cut it off short, trying to hide the sounds of my discomfort.

"Last one," Edmund pointed out. Thank Aslan, it was finally about to end. I despised how they saw me when I was weak.

"I'm glad you're all right, you know. You had us scared out of our minds for a bit, when we first saw you, anyways. But the only thing that matters now is that you're okay," Susan declared. She patted my shoulder while Lucy rubbed my hand. And then came the pain. I unsuccessfully tried to stop myself from crying out. My body almost rushed forward again, but this time Susan restrained my arms, keeping me from going anywhere. My breathing came heavily, stabbing my ribs along the way.

"It's over now, Peter. I'm sorry," Edmund apologized.

"It's… not… your fault, Ed," I put in. Susan massaged my shoulders until I calmed down. "Thank you… everyone," I added. At least now the humiliation was over. They nodded.

"You should lie back down, Peter. You look beat," Edmund pointed out.

"Yes," I agreed. I must have looked as bad as I felt. Susan gently placed her hands on my back to keep me upright as she scooted out from me. I carefully lowered myself down until my head hit the ground. My ribs didn't like all the movement, but it was impossible not to feel the pain. Someone's hands were under my shoulders, gently raising me up. It was Susan. She then lowered me back down and I noticed that my head was a little higher up and was on a softer surface. I turned to see what it was. Su had ripped off a small chunk of cloth from the bottom of her dress, making a small pillow for me. I looked up at her.

"Thank you," I declared.

"You're welcome," she replied, a smile tugging at her lips. I drew in a shaky breath.

"You know, Peter, we'll need to get moving soon so we can get you closer to home. You need to rest and heal up," Lucy stated.

"Yes, I know. I'll move… as soon as you all want me to," I said. And I would. I wasn't going to make them wait out here any longer. I had no idea what lurked in these parts at night, and I wasn't going to have them risk their safety for me. I had Rhindon, but I wasn't sure how well I could fight with the condition my ribs were in. Plus, the sun was already beginning to set; we had to get a move on.

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A/N: Well, as you can see, this chapter is lengthier than the previous. There wasn't any action, but I promise there will be soon! I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review :)


	3. Two Kinds of Surprises

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hello again! I hope you all are enjoying this story so far! There will be humor and action in this chapter, so I hope you all like it as much as I do! :) I would like to say thank you to ilovetoread38 for reviewing; I like hearing what you have to say! All right, well here is chapter 3!

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**Chapter 3: **Two Kinds of Surprises

"Well, shouldn't you rest for a bit?" Susan questioned.

"I'll be okay," I assured.

"But how are we to get him up the hill?" Lucy wondered. Hill… what? There was a hill? I looked at my surroundings for the first time. Sure enough, there was about a fifteen to twenty foot slope. Setting sunlight glinted off the tall trees around us, a light breeze making their leaves bounce. A thought suddenly hit me.

"How are the… horses?" I asked.

"They're fine; Lucy used the cordial on Bill," Edmund explained. Good, my trusted steed was all right. I had another question.

"Did I fall down that slope?" I inquired, my voice getting stronger. My siblings exchanged worried glances.

"You don't remember?" Susan wondered.

"I remember rolling; I just didn't know it was down a hill. Everything happened so quickly," I answered.

"Yes, it was down that hill. After you got shot again so did Bill; he fell first. Then you fell off of him and down to here. As soon as Edmund and Susan fought off our 'visitors,' I rushed down after helping Bill. We were all so scared you were seriously injured," Lucy explained. Now I really felt bad. I hated seeing Lucy so worried. But at least now I knew why I couldn't stop rolling earlier.

"Well, I can walk up the hill with your help," I said, returning to the original subject. Susan gave a light chuckle.

"We'll have to see if you can stand up first, Peter," she pointed out. _I guess that could be an obstacle_, I thought to myself. Leave it to Su to be practical.

"Come help me," I said. I began to push myself up into a sitting position, which wasn't the smartest thing to do. My ribs harshly opposed my movement. I clutched my side, bending forward, shooting more pain up my injury. Edmund rushed to my aid, as did Susan and Lucy. He pulled my free arm over his shoulder, keeping me upright. I leaned into him, taking a moment to breathe.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, once the pain subsided enough.

"Don't apologize. Just be careful, Peter. Don't overwork yourself," Susan put in. I nodded. She pulled my other arm over her shoulder.

"Are you ready to stand?" Edmund questioned.

"Yes," I replied. So they gradually pulled me up. My ribs burned with renewed pain. I bit my tongue, trying not to scream. Lucy must have seen my discomfort.

"Peter, it's okay. You can yell. We won't think anything less of you for it," she stated. I still kept my mouth shut; they didn't need to think I was any weaker than I already was. I had reached my full height, regretting that I didn't rest for a few minutes. This was absolutely horrible. Stabbing pain took over my whole torso, making it much more difficult to breathe. I felt myself begin to sway, my knees buckling beneath me as I didn't receive enough air. The only thing keeping me from falling completely to the ground was Susan and Edmund.

"Relax, Peter. Breathe!" Edmund exclaimed. I took in a sharp breath, killing my already hurting ribs. It was nearly impossible to get enough air to satisfy my lungs when my injury was scorching like this. Though it was very hard to accomplish, after a short episode of struggles I allowed myself to relax. I gripped Ed's arm for support.

"Are you all right?" Lucy asked. _Lucy_. Oh Lucy, I wish she wouldn't have seen that. I gave her a weary smile.

"Yes, I'm okay," I assured. Whether I was telling her or myself more, though, I wasn't quite sure. I reached my full height once more, this time expecting the pain waiting for me. It didn't seem to hurt as much now; I stayed fully upright.

"Do you think you'll be able to walk?" Edmund questioned.

"Yes, I can try," I answered.

"Okay, Ed and I will move first, then you follow," Susan said. I nodded in agreement. So my two siblings took a step forward, perfectly in sync. I matched their movement, pain piercing my ribs. I hissed, but then gained my composure.

"You okay?" Lucy wondered.

"Yes, I'm fine," I replied. Edmund and Susan took another step, me following. I showed no sign of discomfort, holding it all in. We continued this process for a few minutes, the pain then catching up with me. I hesitated for a moment before taking another step, trying to replenish my breath.

"Peter, we're not even a third of a way up this hill and it's already been a good five minutes. I don't think you can make it the whole way up. We don't want you straining yourself either, or wasting your energy just on walking," Susan pointed out. I took her words into consideration. Not only was I wasting my energy, but I was wasting their time as well.

"Sorry, Su, but how else am I supposed to get up here?" I questioned. Edmund cut in.

"We'll carry you," he offered. I was caught off guard, most definitely surprised. What? No way was I going to let them _carry_ me. They had already seen me unconscious; I wasn't going to be mortified any more.

"No thanks, Edmund. I'll manage," I said, brushing off the ridiculous thought.

"Peter, as the other king of Narnia and as your brother, I will not allow you to experience more pain. Susan and I will have no problem getting you up this hill," Edmund put in, the look in his eyes convincing. Goodness, why did he have to be so stubborn?

"Ed, I'd really rather not have my younger siblings _carry_ me up a hill that I am capable of getting up by walking," I added. Edmund gave me one of those 'you're-in-pain-and-you're-trying-to-hide-it-for-our-sake' looks that I seemed to get often.

"I don't think Lucy would like to see you get up this hill any more than you already have, am I right, Lucy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. He had to bring Lucy into this, didn't he? I looked at my youngest sibling. She stared at me, genuine worry set in her eyes.

"Edmund _is_ right, I don't like seeing you hurt," she declared. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine, you can carry me," I said, though I still very much disliked this idea. Edmund smiled, knowing that he got his way. I gave him a light smirk. He chuckled, amused.

"Now how are we to do this, Ed?" Susan questioned.

He pondered for a moment, and then said, "You take his legs, and I'll take the rest of him. Peter, lean fully into me," he instructed. I did so, feeling strange at the loss of support from Susan.

"Susan, lift up his legs. Don't worry, Pete, I won't let you fall," he assured. I felt my legs come out from under me, and then Edmund's grip on my torso grew stronger. He didn't touch my ribs, though, and for that I was grateful. They were already hurting badly enough. I felt his hand brace against my back. I sighed, knowing that this was the most embarrassing situation that I had ever been in.

"Sorry, Peter," Edmund put in, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Don't apologize, Ed. Just wait until something similar happens to you…" I trailed off. He just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Nope, I don't believe your brain is capable of thinking up something quite this humiliating," he responded.

I just left it at that. When I quarreled with Ed, he had always had the better of the remarks. Witty comments came natural for him. He just smiled at me, content. Susan shook her head, muttering something like "immature brothers." I gave a slight grin. Su had never really been the type to joke around with; she was more of a serious, straight-forward person.

They started walking slowly, but it was much faster than the rate we were going earlier. I only winced when the ground became uneven and I was jostled around. But for the most part, it wasn't as bad as it was annoying. Every time Ed and I made eye contact his face contorted into a sly smile, while I'm sure my expression looked irritated. All was done in good nature, though; Ed and I would never intentionally hurt each other, not after everything we had gone through together in these past few years. As we neared the top of the slope, I saw the four horses lying in the grass. My siblings took a few more steps, and then there was level ground beneath us.

"Peter, do you mind if we lie you down for a moment?" Susan wondered. I shook my head. In fact, I was grateful. I didn't want to be in their arms any longer than I had to be, for obvious reasons. So they carefully lowered me to the ground, a child-like grin taking over Edmund's facial features. I exhaled lightly, shaking my head at him. Lucy sat beside me, stroking my hair. I smiled at her and she grinned.

"Thank you, Lucy. You're the _best_," I declared, emphasizing on the last word, glaring up at Edmund. He just snorted and turned away. Lucy gave me a disapproving glance.

"No, Peter. You are the best. Don't tell me I'm wrong, either. You're always too modest," she put in, poking my shoulder. I couldn't help but smile at her. She was just as modest as I was.

"Thanks, Lu," I said, even though the whole occurrence was meant as a joke. Lucy was serious, though, and I really did believe she was wonderful through all of the day's previous events. I heard footsteps coming in our direction. I stared upward, seeing Susan towering over me. That would take some getting used to; I had always been taller than her.

"Well, Peter, do you think you can ride on Bill for a while? We can rest as often as you'd like," Susan inquired.

"Yes, I should be fine," I replied. Edmund kneeled down beside me and I slung my arm over his shoulders. He helped me sit, the pain suddenly rushing back. I clenched my teeth but didn't yell. Edmund gave me a worried look, back to his serious attitude. Lucy patted my arm affectionately. Susan got down to my level and I used her as support as they helped me stand. It was painful, but I couldn't say I didn't expect it. Lucy led Bill over to us and somehow they helped me onto him. It hurt, but I was rather used to that now. I patted Bill's head, letting him know I wasn't mad at him for today's earlier events. He neighed, understanding my gesture.

My three siblings mounted their own horses, Avery, Zylar, -Phillip had been feeling a bit under the weather- and Midnight. Avery and Midnight were Christmas gifts for Susan and Lucy from Calormene suitors seeking their courtship. Lucy was only eleven at the time; I couldn't get over the thought of her _dating _someone at that age. To my relief, though, both declined but the suitors insisted they keep their gifts. Lucy, of course, was delighted to have another horse (she was the animal lover of the family) and named it soon afterwards. Though none of the horses we were riding were of the talking sorts, they were still very useful and respected.

"Okay, Narnia is approximately a day and a half away going in the southern direction. If we take as many breaks as I'm guessing we will, I'd say we'll be to Cair Paravel in nearly forty-eight hours," Edmund explained.

"That sounds like a fair judgment to me," I put in.

"Let's do get moving, shall we? It _is_ starting to get dark, you know," Susan pointed out. We all nodded. Edmund took the lead, leaving Lucy and I in the middle with Susan at the rear. The ride wasn't too bad, except for the fact that I was being jostled around, disrupting my ribs. I only winced every now and then; the pain was becoming more and more tolerable. Plus Lucy was beside me, and I didn't want her to worry.

We rode until the moon was high and the stars were shining brightly. I glanced at my youngest sibling, who was stifling a yawn. It was then that I realized how tired I actually was. My eyelids felt like they were being overworked as I tried to keep them open. My body was filled with exhaustion, most likely due to all the rubbish I went through today. Lucy must have noticed.

"I think we should rest for a while. We're all tired, especially Peter," she declared.

"Okay, let's rest over there in that small meadow," Edmund suggested. I could barely make out the small expansion of grass he was talking about. We reached it in a couple minutes time, they getting off their horses before I. Bill halted to a stop as I swung my legs off his side. I hopped off, my ribs feeling overly stiff. I gingerly clutched them and staggered over to Edmund.

As he helped me stay vertical he asked," You okay?"

"Fine," I muttered, feeling like an idiot for not waiting on one of them to help me. I let out a yawn, feeling the tightness in my torso. Ed lowered me down and I made myself comfortable on the ground. I heard a ruffling sound near my body.

"Here, Peter, use part of my dress as a pillow. I'm sure you don't want to rest your head on the ground," Lucy offered. She had pulled part of her dress over to the side and scrunched it up as if to make a cushion.

"You don't have to, Lucy," I replied.

"No, it's fine, honestly. It's the least I can do," she pointed out.

"Okay," I gave in. I lifted my body and she scooted the fabric underneath me. I lowered myself, and her dress felt very pleasant under my head.

"Thanks, Lu."

"No problem, Peter."

"All right, everyone. I say that Edmund and I should take shifts being on the lookout while you two sleep," Susan suggested. Lucy didn't object, but I, on the other hand, had something to say.

"You two don't have to do that. Honestly, I can stay up and keep watch as well," I put in. Susan shook her head.

"No, Peter. You, more than all of us, need to rest. You'll need energy over the next couple of days," she protested.

"Okay, okay. Just… be careful. Let me know if anything seems out of the ordinary. Just because I'm injured doesn't mean I can't be useful in a battle," I added. Edmund and Su nodded.

"Now go to sleep, Peter. Don't worry about us," Ed declared.

"Okay, good night," I said uneasily.

"Night."

"Sweet dreams, Lucy," I whispered. I could tell she was already asleep, for she didn't say anything back. I closed my eyes, waiting for the tiredness to invite me in. It did, oh so slowly it seemed…

I awoke from an unexpectedly peaceful sleep to a fast-paced pat on my shoulder. I groaned, not wanting to get up, but then I remembered that something could be wrong. I opened my eyes, seeing Edmund staring down at me.

"Peter, something's out there. I heard footsteps and the faint sound of armor clashing," he explained in a hushed tone. I looked around and saw Susan stringing an arrow onto her bow, and Lucy was holding tight to her cordial. I put my hand on the hilt of Rhindon, sitting up. I myself heard a rustling noise in the trees. Consequently an arrow sailed past Edmund and me, fortunately not hitting anyone or the horses. I quickly stood up, not caring about the pain in my side. I unsheathed Rhindon, holding my prized possession in front of me.

"Show yourselves!" I yelled into the mysterious darkness. Who were these people? Were they the same as earlier? More importantly, why were they trying to kill us? After a moments' time, I saw seven men run towards us, bows and swords at the ready. They were fully clad in armor as well. One of them shot an arrow once more. We dodged and it ricocheted off a tree in the distance. Aslan was without a doubt taking care of us. Susan shot one of her arrows, piercing one of the men. Her precision was as near to perfect as one could get. He fell, never to rise again. The men charged, six on three. It would be four, but there was no way I was letting Lucy fight.

A man struck a blow at me, but I clumsily avoided it. This was taking a serious toll on my ribs, but I would fight as long as I had to. I would protect my family, no matter how much pain I was experiencing. He swung at me again, I blocking. I swung hard at him before he had a chance to recoil from the previous, slashing him deeply across his chest. He fell in defeat. The thought of killing someone made my insides churn uneasily. I had fought in plenty of battles, but I had never gotten used to taking a life.

I glanced at Edmund. He had just taken down a man as well. Susan was holding her own, too. Then the pain caught up with me. I clutched my side, wincing and gasping. I checked my surroundings briefly while trying to catch my breath. There were only three men left alive. One Edmund was battling; another Susan was getting ready to shoot. The last one I couldn't find. I turned around.

"Lucy!" I screamed. The man strung an arrow, aiming straight at her. I heard her shriek as her gaze met the man's. I sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me to my youngest sibling. I heard a sickening twang as the arrow flew. I jumped, knocking Lucy out of the way. I felt the arrow strike my arm as I landed cruelly on my ribs, Lucy somewhere underneath me.

"Peter!" came her muffled yell. The sound faded, as did my vision.

"Lucy…" I muttered, the darkness sweeping me away.

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A/N: In case any of you were wondering, Peter's horse is named Bill because of a funny thing that happened between my friends and I in our History class involving a horse figurine that we had named Bill. Therefore, "Bill" was created. Long story. :) Okay, well, please review because I would like to know what you think of this story so far! :) Thanks!


	4. Unexpected Occurrence

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia, no matter how much I want to. :P

Hi!!! I would once again like to say thank you to all of my reviewers. I enjoy reading all of your comments and I'm so happy all of you are enjoying it! :) Please continue to review, it helps me tremendously! Well, here is chapter 4!

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**Chapter 4:** Unexpected Occurrence

Someone was gently shaking my shoulder.

"Peter," the person said. I recognized the voice to belong to Susan.

"Wake up, Peter," she urged. Wake up? Had I passed out? Then I remembered Lucy. My eyes shot open.

"Where's Lucy?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit panicked as I sat up without thinking about what I was doing. I winced. My side seared with renewed pain, almost worse than what I had felt earlier. I suppressed a groan.

"I'm right here, Peter," Lucy answered. I felt her take my hand and give it a gentle squeeze. _Thank goodness!_ I thought. Lucy was okay. I looked around and saw Susan and Lucy to my left side, followed by Edmund at my right. He placed a hand on my chest and slowly pushed me back down to the ground, looking worried.

"You okay, Ed?" I wondered. My ribs suddenly flared up again; it took everything I had not to yell.

"You just took an arrow for our sister and got knocked out cold, probably damaging your ribs even more, and you're asking me if I'm okay? How are you?" he questioned.

"I'm fi- ah!" I yelled, my voice finally betraying me. I clutched my side. Edmund put his hand on my shoulder, keeping me from lurching forward.

"Peter, you are not fine," he added sternly. I tried to contradict him, but I couldn't speak; the pain was overwhelming. I must've fallen on them harder than I thought.

"Just relax, Peter. We're not going to make you move," Susan pointed out. I nodded, inhaling slowly; I didn't want to strain my ribs even more than they already had been.

"Peter, I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be hurting worse," Lucy said, her eyes beginning to tear up. I squeezed her hand harder.

"No, Lucy. Don't blame yourself. I would do it again if it meant I'd be saving you," I declared. I hated that she was blaming herself for this; it was anything _but_ her fault. Goodness it hurt to speak; I'd really need to restrict the talking. Lucy laid down beside me and put her head on my shoulder. She sighed.

"Thank you, Peter. That's twice you've saved me today. I love you so much," she put in. She looked over at me. I smiled.

"Love you too, Lucy," I added. We had such a close relationship; she'd do anything for me. And I'd do anything for her. Right now I had to be strong for Lucy. I couldn't let her know how much I was hurting; she'd only blame herself.

"Peter, honestly, how bad are your ribs?" Edmund asked. Well, this wasn't helping with the confidentiality, now was it? I couldn't lie to my siblings, though.

"As bad as earlier, but I can manage," I answered. And I would. I'd do whatever it took to get all of us back to Cair Paravel safely.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Edmund wondered. I shook my head. Lucy sat up and scooted slightly away from me, still holding my hand. Ed pulled up my tunic and gave me a somewhat quizzical look.

"Peter, how hard did you fall?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Hard, I guess,"

"Well your ribs have been disrupted. I don't believe anymore are broken, but I do think they could have possibly been damaged a slight bit more," he said. _Wonderful_, I thought to myself. Oh well, I couldn't change what happened earlier.

"Will you need to wrap them up any tighter?" I asked in a quiet voice. I wasn't going to waste my well-needed energy on speaking.

"Probably so, Peter. That way they'll heal properly," Edmund explained. I nodded.

"Go ahead," I told him. I just wanted it to be done and over with. I would try my best to keep quiet and hide my discomfort from my siblings, especially Lucy. Susan helped me sit up; it was quite painful. I was successful at staying silent, though. I gave both her and Lucy a smile and they returned the favor.

"All right, Peter, are you ready?" Edmund inquired.

"Yes," I answered. So once again Susan positioned herself behind me while Lucy held my hand.

"You never cease to amaze me, Peter. You truly are magnificent. I owe you everything," Lucy put in. There was a slight sparkle in her eyes, as if she was really admiring me. I suddenly felt a tug at my side and then an explosion of pain. I bit my lip but recovered easily. This whole hiding-my-pain thing was becoming progressively easier. I went through these motions a few more times- me and Lucy speaking, I keeping my expressions to myself- and then Edmund was done.

"Thanks, Ed," I declared.

"No problem. I just wish I wouldn't have had to do anything," he replied. _Yes, so do I_, I thought to myself.

"Well, what are we to do now?" Susan questioned.

"It's still dark out, my guess is it's about four thirty, but we should probably get a move on. We were just attacked and there's a chance that there could be more of them around here. I do wish we knew who they were. They appeared to be dark-skinned, but it was hard to be sure in this deprived light. Anyways, we should get going, unless Peter needs to rest," Edmund answered, looking at me. I shook my head.

"I'll manage," I promised.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest first? You've been through a lot in these previous hours," Lucy wondered.

"No, I'm all right," I said. Well, I hoped. I still hurt terribly, but at least my siblings didn't know that.

"Okay, well, then, let's get you up," Susan put in. She didn't sound convinced on her decision, but I wasn't going to rest and keep us in danger in our location. I put my arm over her shoulder and then Edmund came over and I did the same with him. They stood and brought me up with them. Ouch. I closed my eyes and took in some fresh air. I'd be all right after a moment or two. I stepped forward when I felt I could. My siblings joined me and we walked towards Bill. They helped me onto him and then mounted their own horses. Lucy rode over to me on Midnight.

"Well, are we ready?" she asked, mainly looking at me. I nodded, as did everyone else. So then we were off. Edmund led us but I wasn't far behind. Lucy was beside me and Susan was in the back. We rode for what I guessed was a few hours, seeing as the sun had rose, but then hunger overcame us all.

"So, what's to eat? Is there anything out here that's… edible?" Susan questioned.

"It wouldn't hurt to look," Edmund said, bringing Zylar to a halt.

"Lucy and I will go this way and you two can go the opposite," I suggested. They all nodded so Lu and I headed west while the others traveled east.

We searched for a few minutes and then Lucy exclaimed, "Peter, look!"

She was pointing her finger in a northern direction. My eyes followed it and I saw a rather large apple tree.

"Hmm, how peculiar for an apple tree to be out in these unknown woods; would you trust it?" I wondered. Lucy hopped off of Midnight and walked to the tree. She pulled off one of the red fruits and cut it open using a dagger hidden in her boot. Though she never wanted to use it against someone, I required her to carry it as a safety precaution. Lucy showed me the inside of the apple. It was the normal off-white color with a tint of shine glazed over the top, such as to be the sweet juice.

"Here, Lucy, hand it to me," I said, extending my hand. She did as I asked, and I lifted it to my nose. It smelled as a normal apple should. I took a bite. Lucy's eyes became wide. I swallowed, and nothing happened.

"Lucy, it's fine. It's just a regular apple," I assured. It was a very good apple at that, but then again anything could've tasted good to me after what I'd gone through in the past day. She bit into her half. Her face lit up.

"Wow, Peter! This is quite delicious!" she exclaimed. I nodded.

"We should take some back for the others," Lu added. So the two of us gathered as many apples as we could carry comfortably and brought them back to where we started from.

"Susan, Ed," I yelled out. I heard a rustling in the leaves and out came my siblings on Zylar and Avery. They were holding handfuls of some sort of berries; the type I couldn't tell from here.

"Oh, you have apples! We found a bush full of ripe raspberries and a creek back there in a clearing. We'll take you back and all get a drink; the water is very fresh," Susan declared. First of all though, we exchanged fruits and ate in nearly silence. The raspberries were the best I'd tasted in a while. They were so moist; the juices seemed to flow throughout my mouth and they were very sweet.

Later on Susan and Edmund led us to the freshwater stream. It wasn't very far back into the woods; it was quite easy to get there on horseback. I hopped off of Bill and bent down to the water. It hurt my ribs, but that wasn't very unusual at this point in time. I stared down at my reflection in the clear liquid. My hair was tousled around and my cheeks were slightly flushed. My eyes looked a bit duller than the bright blue color that they usually expressed. The sleeve of my tunic was stained with blood, but it didn't look too bad. All in all I didn't appear too shabby except for where you could start to see the bandages under my shirt; I didn't like accepting the fact that others could tell I was injured. Shaking off the thought, I lowered my hands and put them underwater. I pulled them up and took a sip. Goodness the water was delicious. I didn't realize how thirsty I had been until this moment. My mouth didn't feel parched and dry; it was now cool and refreshed. And the taste… it was wonderful.

"It's almost like the flavored tonic back home," I said. It did seem that way; it had a certain zest to it. The others nodded in agreement. Lucy and Susan, the only ones with canteens, filled them up so we could share the water later. We stayed there for a few more minutes and then made our descent towards Narnia.

We rode for a couple hours and rested, rode a couple and rested, and kept this routine up until dark. We made good time today; for once we weren't ambushed, thank Aslan. All of us were terribly tired so we stopped for the night in a small clearing. I got off of Bill, my body feeling very stiff from all the day's riding. I slowly stretched myself onto the ground and tried to make myself comfortable. I lay on my back, staying off of my aching side. Lucy laid the closest to me, then Edmund and Susan.

"Good night, Peter," Lucy said.

"Night," I whispered to everyone. My vision faded to black and my thoughts slowed down as sleep overcame me.

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The rising sunlight forced my eyes to open. I yawned, stretching out my arms. My eyes scanned my surroundings. Susan and Edmund were still sound asleep and Lucy… Lucy? Where was Lucy? I stood up and walked around, making sure I hadn't overlooked her or anything.

"Lucy!" I yelled out. No answer.

"Lucy!" I screamed again.

"Peter, what are you doing?" Edmund asked in a tired voice.

"Did Lucy go somewhere?" I wondered. He shook his head as Susan sat up.

"What about Lucy?" she questioned, confused.

"She's gone," I answered. And she was. We searched all over the perimeter, but our youngest sister was nowhere to be found.

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A/N: Cliffhanger, possibly? Sorry, but I have to stop at some point. :) Well, what do you think?? Please review!


	5. Lucy?

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Thanks again to all of my reviewers; you all are so awesome! :) I really appreciate hearing what you have to say so please keep reviewing. If you haven't reviewed yet and you would like to, please do! I would love to know what you think! :) I hope you all are enjoying this story as much as I am! Okay, well here is chapter 5!!!

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**Chapter 5****:** Lucy?

I urged Bill to keep moving. We had been riding for hours and hadn't found Lucy yet. Lucy- I flinched- oh Lucy. I couldn't think about her without feeling a harsh inner pain. Was it something I had done? Something I had said? What could've made her run off like that? Then it hit me. Had she felt… guilty? Did she feel so overwhelmed with the ridiculous thought that she had caused these things to happen to me that she ran away? I shook my head and closed my eyes. No, this wasn't my fault. Blaming me for what was happening was not the right way to handle this situation. I had to keep my mind set on finding Lucy and making sure she was safe.

I sighed, trying to clear my head. But what if she was kidnapped or… or worse? That couldn't have happened with all of us sleeping so close to her, could've it? _Peter, shut up_, I told myself. I could not let myself keep thinking the worst, what would that accomplish besides fear? I had to give this situation to Aslan; he would never abandon us. I had to trust in him and have faith that he would fix this problem. I turned my head back to face Susan and Ed, who were behind me. Neither of them appeared to be tired, which was good. I wasn't stopping unless I absolutely had to.

I faced frontwards again and patted Bill's head. He was a good steed; he barely slowed the whole time we were riding. My ribs were aching tremendously, though, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to subside the pain. Well, resting would be one, but for what it was worth I wasn't stopping. Susan rode up so she was parallel to me.

"How are you holding up?" she wondered. I shrugged.

"I'm holding, but under the circumstances I'm not exactly sure what that means. I would be much better if Lucy were here," I answered truthfully.

"Wouldn't we all be," she added, gazing off into the distance. Edmund piped in.

"I say, let's break off and search, shall we? We would cover more ground that way and could possibly find Lucy faster," he proposed. I thought it over for a minute. Leave it to Ed to come up with a reasonable idea.

"I'm up for it, as long as you two promise to stay together. If something were to happen to either of you…" I trailed off, not even able to think about something so unpleasant in a time like this. Susan, of course, opposed.

"No, Peter. I'll go alone. You're already injured; what if something were to happen to _you_ while we were off somewhere else?" she reasoned, her gaze hard and unchanging. When she looked at me that way, I knew she meant every word. I shrugged.

"I would deal with it. And I'll be careful. You'll just have to trust me, Susan. I will manage alone," I declared. Susan gave Ed a disapproving look but Edmund just brushed it off.

"I trust Peter. He has Rhindon if anything would go wrong. And Bill is good, too," he said, trying to persuade our sister. Susan sighed but reluctantly agreed.

"Fine, just… stay safe," she put in half-heartedly. I knew she was worried, but I wasn't going to risk my sibling's safety when I could perform the task myself. I nodded, fully understanding. They didn't want anything happening to me just as much as I didn't want anything happening to them.

"We'll go to the east, you go to the west. We'll meet here in an hour or so," Ed explained.

"All right. If anything happens, yell as loud as possible. I'll get there as soon as I can," I pointed out. They nodded.

"Same goes for you, Pete. We'll be there whenever you need us," Ed mentioned. I nodded, already riding in a west-ward direction. All I could see were trees, and lots of them. I'm sure they went on for miles, each one the same shade of green as the next. I wasn't quite certain what exactly lurked out here, but I had Rhindon which gave me a better sense of security. My eyes scanned the collage of browns and greens for any sign of my youngest sister. Of course, all I saw were leaves and bark but then… what was this? A waterfall? In the middle of this wasteland? Huh, I'd have to explore past the Narnian limits more often; one never knew what could be found out here. Bill must've seen the refreshing liquid too, for he was heading in that exact direction. I patted the side of his neck; I was lucky to have a horse like him.

We reached it in a few minutes time and Bill halted to let me off. There was a small river flowing past; it must have ended somewhere close by because it was not large enough to be charted on a map. I lowered myself and put my hands in the icy current. Bill joined me, his left shank very close to my face. I took a sip. I must say that it was extremely tasty. Though water does not necessarily have a taste, this particular liquid seemed as if it was flavored with a heavenly zest. I splashed some of it upon my face. It felt refreshing to have the temperature of the water spread across my warm skin. I took in a deep breath, only relaxing for a moment. Then my muscles tensed. Something was wrong; I could feel it. I turned swiftly and examined my surroundings. Nothing but trees. Huh, I was sure there was something out of place here. I faced the cool water again. I leaned in to take another drink. It was then that I heard it. A twig broke behind me, the sound ringing throughout my ears. A small hand braced my shoulder. I turned around.

"Lucy!" I exclaimed. A smile of relief spread across my face, but her eyes narrowed into slits. I raised my eyebrows quizzically. The hand on my shoulder tightened, as if she was trying to displace my bone. I gently brushed it off and her lips curled up over her teeth.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" I questioned. My tone was slow and cautious; I didn't want to say anything that could possibly upset her. But I couldn't help but wonder if she was angry with me. Had I done something to push her over the edge? She just growled-if that's what you'd call it- in response. Okay, Lucy was certainly not acting normal. This whole situation was making me feel quite ill at ease. I began to stand up, but she wouldn't let me get completely vertical. She lunged at me, ramming me straight in the ribs.

I lost my balance, rocking back on my heels. My side seared worse than it had all day. I tried to catch myself but Lucy pushed me even farther, forcing me to fall into the river's depths. I felt the cold water cover every inch of my body. I had no time to take a breath before the current took me in its grasp and pressed me downwards. I kicked myself back up and gasped for air, coughing and sputtering. I sucked in a breath and then the current swept me under again. I submerged and frantically searched for Lucy. I spotted my sibling and yelled,

"Lucy, help!" I was a strong swimmer, but this current was too fast to go at alone while injured. I saw her smirk and then the water forced me down once more. The current was moving too swiftly. I thrashed, my head finally breaking through the surface. I tried to swim against it, but the water smashed into my ribs, making it painful and much harder to breathe. I kept at it anyway. I didn't live through all those ambushes for me to just give up now. And Lucy needed help, serious help.

_ Oh Aslan, please keep Lucy safe. Whatever you unfold for me I can handle with your help, but please be with Lucy_, I silently prayed. The wind stung against my face and the current picked up, moving much too quickly. I fought desperately and tried to find a foothold. My feet dug into the dirt beneath me as I tried to stop from being thrown about in the water again. It worked, but only for a moment. A wave then crashed against my body and I was flipped backwards. I flailed my arms out, trying to grab onto anything possible. There was nothing. My leg suddenly kicked something hard and smooth, followed by the rest of my body. Before I realized it was a rock I could hold onto, my head collided with the hard surface, tearing me from my consciousness.

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A/N: Wow, I've written a lot of cliffhangers so far, haven't I??? :) Sorry this chapter was a bit on the shorter side... I hope you liked it anyways! All right, well please review! :)


	6. A New Acquaintance

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia, but thank goodness C.S. Lewis thought of it!!! ;)

Hello again! Thank you reviewers! You don't know how excited I get when I see that someone has reviewed on this story! :) So, what do you guys think? Do you like the direction the story is going in? Well, I hope you all are enjoying it! Anyways, here is the next chapter!

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**Chapter 6:** A New Acquaintance

I awoke to a sharp pain piercing my side. An overwhelming feeling of grogginess spread throughout my senses, leaving me unsure if I could stay awake. As I struggled to open my eyes, an unfamiliar shadow loomed over my vision. Suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my throat. I leaned forward and coughed, spitting out the remains of the water. Each cough killed my ribs; I hadn't felt this much pain in a while. Someone's hand was pounding on my back. I rolled myself over slowly, trying not to aggravate my side, which was hard because I was lying on my stomach. I blinked a few times making sure my sight wasn't doing strange things to me.

A round face with high cheek bones and purple eyes stared back at me. I blinked again. Purple eyes? Oh well, stranger things had happened lately. Long, reddish-brown hair framed her face and she had a warm smile spread across her features. I could tell she was a dwarf, but not of the Narnian sort. I had never seen a Narnian dwarf with purple eyes.

"Wh- who…" I began to ask. My throat was failing me, most likely due to all the water I had consumed and to the fact that my ribs had flared up. I put my hand on them and tried clearing my throat.

"Who are you?" I asked again, in a raspy whisper. I let out a small breath. My throat was dry and burning; I needed a drink but I wasn't too keen on water for the time being.

"Hi, my name is Telula. And what is yours?" she asked. Her voice was light and airy, almost like a fairies'. I wasn't sure if I should tell her my true identity or not, but I did so anyways.

"Peter Pevensie, High King of Narnia," I answered. I wasn't expecting it, but I felt myself wince. I hated feeling so vulnerable in front of a complete stranger.

"What's wrong, Peter of Narnia?" she wondered. Well, I could tell her nearly hundreds of things, but I decided to stick with only the small details.

"I broke a number of ribs recently and I knocked my head against that rock back there. My ribs hit it, too," I replied, my finger pointing towards the river. I clenched my teeth. I really needed to stop talking. I then realized my head was throbbing, almost to the point of where I could feel my heart pulsing through it.

"Oh goodness! You must be in pain!" Telula exclaimed, her voice almost raising an octave. I nodded, which made my head throb worse.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she questioned.

"No, thank you," I said. My throat was beginning to fail me again. There was nothing she could do to help me anyways, though.

"Okay," she put in, sounding a bit dejected. I hoped I didn't hurt her feelings.

"So how did you get stuck in the water?" she inquired. I sighed. _Lucy, what was wrong with her?!_ She'd never done a thing like that before! I wondered what had made her behavior so… so… different.

"I was pushed," I answered simply. I didn't feel like giving her all the details; I didn't feel like doing much of anything, really. The struggle to keep myself from drowning had really taken a lot out of me.

"How dreadful! What a cruel person to do such a thing!" Telula looked at me for some sort of feedback, but I just couldn't let myself call my little sister cruel. Though I did not know what was wrong with her, I would not allow myself to draw that conclusion. So instead I asked,

"How did you find me?"

A look of triumph fell upon her features. I could tell she was proud of herself for saving my life.

"Well, I was taking a walk by the river when I heard yelling. I ran towards the noise and saw you alongside a rock and beginning to go under. I jumped into the water and seized you just before your head disappeared. I pulled you towards the shore and laid you by this horse. I'm guessing he's yours," she explained. I checked my surroundings for the first time. Sure enough, Bill was a few yards away, keeping a close eye on me. I smiled. Good old Bill.

"How long was I out?" I wondered. I hoped I wasn't unconscious for too long in front of this friendly stranger.

"Long enough; I'd say a good fifteen to twenty minutes, easy," Telula replied. Oh, wonderful. Now I was embarrassed.

"And you stayed with me?" She nodded.

"I tried to wake you but you wouldn't stir. I feared for the worst for a little while," she confessed.

Huh. I wonder why she stayed with me so long.

"Well thank you, Telula, for everything," I said. I wasn't quite sure how to thank her for saving my life, but she grinned regardless.

"It was my pleasure. I couldn't leave you out here alone," she declared. Wow, Susan would love this dwarf. She'd think she was absolutely adorable. _Susan._ Oh no, how long have I been gone? She and Ed must be worried sick.

"Telula, if you don't mind my asking, could you please move over so I can sit up?" I wondered.

"Oh, of course, sir," she stated, shuffling over to the right. Sir? I was only seventeen, not even old enough to be considered an adult back in England. But then again, I was called "your highness" on a regular basis. I lightly chuckled to myself. I braced my body up using both of my arms, noticing that they were very sore. Then a light breeze blew against my body. I shivered. I forgot that I was still wet, and it was beginning to get considerably chillier outside. Telula noticed.

"Are you all right? Are you too cold?" she inquired.

"I'm fine," I assured, though it wasn't the truth. I pushed myself slowly upward. This was more difficult than I expected. My whole body was sore and trembling with cold. I must've swum harder than I thought.

"Here, let me help you," she offered. I looked up at her. Her violet eyes were pleading. If I didn't let her help me, I was afraid she might have a breakdown or something.

"Okay," I said, not sure of what else to say. She came beside me again. My head was already practically to her shoulder and I was just barely halfway up. I put my arm over her shoulder; it wasn't that much of a stretch. She helped me up. Telula was very strong; I was slightly surprised. I tried to scoot myself to the left; the ground was too uneven where I was sitting. It didn't work. I turned just enough to the point where I felt an unpleasant twang in my side. I let out a small yell. Telula looked taken aback. Before she could say anything, though, a voice called out from the distance.

"Unhand him!" it said. I turned my head towards the voice.

"Susan, it's fine, she's helping me!" I exclaimed loudly. Goodness, speaking that loudly hurt almost as much as sitting up! Susan lowered her bow, which she had previously been ready to use, and then Edmund and Zylar stepped out from the trees. My siblings came towards Telula and I, a look of worry plastered on both of their faces.

"What happened?" Edmund wondered.

"Lucy," I replied. They both shared the same confused expression.

"I was getting a drink of water when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Lucy behind me. Of course I was slightly in shock and completely overjoyed, but she looked as if she was ready to kill me! I stood up and then she rammed me in the ribs and pushed me into the river. I struggled to swim"- I cleared my throat; my voice was going hoarse again-"because the current was too strong. Before I knew it I crashed into a rock and woke up to Telula," I explained. My siblings looked as if they were in a state of shock.

"_Lucy_ pushed you in?" Ed asked in disbelief. I nodded.

"Peter, are you sure it was Lucy?" Susan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Susan, I'm not going mad… I know my youngest sister. She wasn't acting like her usual self; I'm not quite sure how to describe her behavior," I confessed.

"Goodness, I wonder what's gotten into her! First she runs away in the middle of the night, and now this! Oh! Peter, are you all right?" Susan asked. It seemed almost as if she had just taken in my current condition. I looked up at her.

"As all right as one can be after nearly drowning. My ribs are acting up again and my throat is fervently sore," I answered.

"You must be freezing, too. What if you catch a cold?" Su wondered.

"I'll be fine," I assured. But I had to admit, I was overly chilled. Edmund came over and sat down beside me.

"Do either of you know which way Lucy went?" he asked, glancing between Telula and me. She shook her head and I shrugged.

"I'm guessing she ran west, but honestly I don't know," I answered. He sighed.

"I can't believe she did that to you, Pete. It's not like her," he said. I could tell this was really getting to Edmund. Of course, I found it quite bothersome as well.

"I'm going to go look for her," I declared, preparing myself to stand. Susan placed a hand on my shoulder.

"No, Peter. You need to sit and rest. I'm sure you're sore and walking isn't going to help right now. Ed and I will search. Telula can join us as well," Susan pointed out. Telula nodded and walked in my sibling's general direction.

"Okay, we'll be back as soon as we find anything," Edmund put in. I began to respond but Susan cut me short.

"And don't try anything while we're gone. We don't need your injuries to be any worse than they already are. Just lie down and relax," Susan demanded. I gave a light chuckle. I was high king and _she_ was bossing me around.

"Don't worry, O Great One. I know what my limits are and I won't exceed them," I said, slightly bending as if to bow in her presence. She gave me a slight smirk.

"But seriously, Peter, be careful," she added. I nodded, fully meaning it. The three began heading west while I made myself comfortable. I gently lowered myself to the ground and lay down, stretching out. I was feeling unbelievably stiff. I put my hands behind my head so that my elbows came out to a point. I closed my eyes and tried not to think of my youngest sister. _Just let her be safe_, I silently prayed. I sighed and just lay there, blocking out thoughts of everything.

A breeze blew across my face, feeling like a shallow breath from nature. The sound of the waterfall crashing against the crystal-clear river was oddly soothing to me. I felt a light mist sweep against my skin with the precision of an artist's brush stroke. In that moment I knew everything would eventually turn out to be fine. An inner peace consumed me that could only be due to Aslan.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I took in a breath of the serene air. A few minutes passed, and then I heard footsteps coming towards me. I opened my eyes and slowly sat back up. Edmund was rushing towards me, something bluish-gray in his hand.

"Peter! It's a small bit of Lu's dress! It must've gotten caught on a twig! We know which way she's going!" he exclaimed. I grinned.

"Praise be to Aslan!" I rejoiced. Susan and Telula were a few feet behind Ed, running to catch up to him.

"We have to find her before she gets too far away," I pointed out. Everyone nodded.

"But Peter, can you travel? I'm positive you haven't made a full recovery yet," Susan put in.

"I'll manage. I'm not going to be the reason we lose this lead on Lucy," I simply stated.

"All right, well then let's do get a move on. Peter, let me help you up," Edmund declared. I put my arm over his shoulders as he lowered himself. I pulled my legs up and stood, leaning into Edmund. I clenched my teeth.

"You okay, sir?" Telula questioned. I smiled down at her.

"Yes, I'm okay," I replied. Edmund chuckled.

"Sir?" he wondered. I nudged him playfully in the side. He laughed harder.

"Boys…" Susan started, rolling her eyes. Susan never had nearly as many good times as Ed and I had. We sighed and then walked to Bill. My legs were terribly stiff. I mounted my horse and then my siblings mounted theirs.

"Telula, you can ride with Ed or me if you'd like. I don't think it would be the best of ideas to hold onto Peter's midsection," Susan pointed out. Telula nodded and walked over to my sister. She reached her small hand up and Susan pulled. She was on Avery within a second. Telula must be very light in order for Susan to have lifted her so quickly.

"We ready?" Edmund inquired.

"Yes," I answered for everyone. And we started off. It was hard to maneuver our horses through all the trees, but they didn't seem to mind. Just then Edmund, who was leading us, brought Zylar to a halt.

"This is where we found the small part of her dress. Which way would you say she went next?" he asked.

"North," Telula answered. We all turned to look at her.

"How do you know?" Susan wondered.

"Easy. You can tell this part of the forest has been trodden on. The ground has slight indents where human footprints have stepped," Telula replied. I stared ahead at the ground. Nothing looked walked upon to me. But then again, I don't encounter these woods everyday like she does.

"All right, well then let's head north. Thank you, Telula," Edmund declared. She smiled sheepishly. I could tell she wasn't used to so much attention; she must've kept to herself quite often. We rode forward for what seemed like several hours. I was now completely dry, which I was entirely grateful for seeing as it was getting windier out. But we had found no sign of Lucy yet. Whenever we doubted ourselves, though, Telula always assured us we were heading in the right direction. Honestly I think she was a gift from Aslan himself. We would've never gotten this far without her guidance. I might not even be alive right now if it wasn't thanks to her. Our family owed her so much. Suddenly I heard a crack in the distance.

"Did you hear that?" I wondered aloud. The others shook their heads.

"Hear what, Peter?" Susan questioned.

"Never mind," I said. Huh, maybe it was just me. Then I heard it again, only it was a few notches louder.

"Okay, now I hear something," Ed pointed out. Something rustled in the trees. I looked around and saw the silhouette of a man beginning to illustrate itself on the ground. I grasped Rhindon's hilt.

"Susan, get out your bow," I whispered hastily. She obeyed. I tilted my head to the east. Her eyes glanced in that direction, obviously understanding my gesture. Within a split second the arrow was strung, pulled, and successfully aimed. The conspicuous man sank to the ground from between two trees, Susan's arrow in his stomach.

"Excellent precision, Su," I declared. She nodded gratefully.

"It's a Telmarine, you can tell by his olive skin," Edmund explained.

"That's what I'm concerned about. Telmarines travel in numbers. There must be more around here somewhere. If anyone hears or sees anything, speak up," I put in. We rode uninterrupted for about five minutes. Then I heard Susan's voice.

"Someone's out there," she stammered. My eyes scanned the forest, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then the arrow flashed above my face.

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A/N: So what do you think of Telula? I hope you like her character so far! Reviews are appreciated! :)


	7. Come What May

Hey everybody!!! First off, I would like to give a big thank you to ilovetoread38 and kutlessgurl90. Both of you have reviewed on nearly every chapter, so thank you very much! :) Also, I'd like to thank anyone who is reading my story. I hope everyone is finding enjoyment in it! Anyways, I will probably only be updating this story once a week now. School work always seems to get in the way, doesn't it??? :P Oh well... it's not like we can avoid it. Okay, well here is chapter 7!!!

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**Chapter 7: Come What May**

I ducked just in the nick of time, the arrow coming too close for comfort.

"Show yourself!" Edmund screamed, hand on his sword. Five men ran out from amongst the trees. I unsheathed Rhindon and jumped off of Bill, running towards the people, who were Telmarines. Edmund joined me and we fought, Susan staying behind with Telula.

The first man I approached was tall and muscular, his face menacing. He, as well as the others, was fully clad in armor. I had nothing but my tunic and trousers to protect me. He swung at my body, but I blocked. He recoiled and took another stab, but it didn't reach me. I slashed faster than he, and he fell to the ground. I took a two second breather and then Ed yelled, "Behind you!"

I turned and felt a light sting graze my left arm. I barely had time to ready myself when suddenly the man fell, Susan's arrow in his back.

"Thanks, Su," I called out. I then noticed Edmund struggling against two men. I hurried over and helped. The burlier man of the two turned swiftly to face me.

"High King Peter the Magnificent, eh?" he spat. "Well let's see just how magnificent you are!" With that he swung harshly, the blade coming dangerously close to my chest. I blocked just in time, our swords making a sickly screeching noise.

"Where's my sister?" I asked, the anger rising in my voice. I was sure he knew where Lucy was, I could feel it.

"And why should I tell you?" he wondered, venom heavy in his tone. I spun to miss his blow and brought Rhindon down on his weapon. It flew out of his hand.

"Where's my sister?" I repeated. He drew his arms up in surrender. I pressed the dull end of my blade to his shoulder, not creating a cut.

"Head north and you'll find a building. She's there," he answered.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" I questioned. He fell to his knees.

"I give you my word," he said. I let my sword fall from his body, suspicion filling my eyes. Just that quickly his leg stretched out in a kicking motion, and he swiped my feet out from under me. I felt my back hit the hard ground. The man scrambled back to his feet, regaining his grip on his sword. He stomped a foot on my abs, knocking the wind out of me and killing my ribs. I clenched my teeth tightly and tried to replenish my breath without yelling.

"Any last words?" he asked, pressing the flat of his blade to my chest. A vicious grin overtook his face. Then it was replaced with a grimace. His body twisted and he fell to the ground, Edmund's sword in his side. I stared at my brother, amazed.

A simple 'thanks' was all I could muster out. He removed his sword from the dead Telmarine and cleaned it off in the surrounding grass. I sat up painfully; my ribs didn't take very kindly to being stepped upon. Edmund rushed over to me.

"You were brilliant up until that last second!" he declared. I shook my head in disagreement.

"No, Ed, you were the brilliant one. You saved my life. I owe you one," I said. He clapped me on the back.

"Anytime," he added. I was so proud of Edmund. He had fought so well in these past couple days; he had helped save our family numerous times.

"Pete, you're bleeding," he pointed out.

"Huh?" I wondered, looking over my body.

"Your arm," he put in. I glanced at it. Sure enough, there was a red stain beginning to form on my sleeve. I didn't even realize its sting before I saw the deep red liquid trickling down my arm. I rolled up the fabric. The cut wasn't deep; the blade must have just barely penetrated my skin.

"You'll need that taken care of," Telula piped in. I hadn't even noticed that she and Susan had dismounted Avery to stand beside us.

"I'm fine, really," I stated. That was truthful. After what I had gone through yesterday and earlier today, this was nothing. Her violet eyes bore into mine.

"I'll fix it for you, but I'll need something to wrap it with," she stated. Well, I couldn't say no to that; the look in her eyes would make me feel too guilty.

"Here," Susan cut in. She ripped a small strip from the hem of her dress and handed it to Telula. She took it and told me to hold out my arm. I obeyed, and she wrapped it around tightly. The pressure stopped the bleeding and she tied it into a knot.

"There you go, sir," she said, patting my shoulder with a warm smile. Edmund snickered, earning another nudge in the side from my elbow.

"Sorry, Pete. It gets better every time!" he exclaimed quietly. Telula must've noticed our small ordeal.

"Did I do something wrong, sir?" she asked. I shook my head. Edmund pretended to cough to hide his laughter.

"Someone has a crush," he taunted in my ear. I let a grin escape my lips as I nudged him again. Telula did appear to be overly friendly to me, which was slightly embarrassing. I heard Susan sigh as she watched this all play out. She would never understand Ed and me. But then again, that probably wasn't a bad thing. Edmund grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Now back to reality.

"That man told me Lucy was in a building to the north, should we believe him?" I wondered.

"I don't know. It could be a trap, but then again it's the only lead we've got," Susan stated. I pondered that for a moment.

"We have to go. It's worth a try. We'll take anything dealt to us. Let's not forget we have Aslan on our side," I declared. How true that statement was.

"Well then we have no time to waste," Edmund said. I fully agreed. I mounted Bill while the others mounted their own horses. I took the lead, ready to face anything to save my sister. So we rode. And rode. And rode some more. I was beginning to wonder if this really was a trap we were falling for. None of this was making sense. I woke up this morning to find that Lucy was missing. We searched and I found her, and she was like an utterly different person! She tries to kill me and then runs off without an explanation! So we search some more and get attacked in an ambush! What was going on? Was this supposed to be happening to us? I let out a deep sigh. _Don't lose your faith, Peter_, I silently reminded myself. We had to be getting close to this 'building' unless of course it was all a lie. But I couldn't allow myself to think that way. We were onto something and we were going to find Lucy… somehow.

"How much farther north until we stop?" Susan wondered.

"I don't know, Su. I'm willing to go as far as I can," I answered.

"But what if there's no building?" she retorted.

"Then we'll just have to take that chance. Don't lose your faith," I said. That shut Susan up. We rode for nearly a half hour longer, and then I saw it. Through the trees, barely visible, was a square-shaped speck. It had to be at least a mile or so away, but something was there. I told my siblings and Telula what I saw and I bade Bill to go faster. As we approached the structure I began to worry about what we would find. Would Lucy be normal? Would she still be so… violent? Would she even be there? I took a breath to calm myself; I had to have a clear mind for the time being so I could think proficiently.

A few minutes later we could see the building's full size… if you could call it a building. It was more like a small fortress. The structure of it, though, wasn't exactly what I had imagined. It was, as I have previously said, small; it wasn't even a third of the size of Cair Paravel. The outside stones appeared to be falling apart, as if it had been there for ages. Based on the exterior appearance, I wasn't quite sure what to expect on the inside. But I wasn't afraid. We could face whatever this was, as long as we stuck together and trusted in the Great Lion. I hopped off of Bill and the others joined me. I stared at my steed.

"Stay here. Whatever you hear or see, don't come," I commanded. I didn't want anything to happen to him or the other horses. Bill nodded in understanding. Though he was an animal of the Calormene sorts and not Narnian, he was still very intelligent.

"Are we ready?" I wondered.

"Yes," Edmund declared, stepping up next to me. You could hear the confidence resounding in his voice. I knew he was prepared for whatever we would encounter today. He had matured so much in these past few years in Narnia; I was so proud of him. The girls came up behind us. I turned to look at them.

"Telula, I believe you should stay back with the horses. If anything should happen to you, I couldn't live with myself," I explained. She looked at me with pleading eyes but nodded anyway. I felt bad that I was restricting her from this, but I wasn't going to risk this stranger's life. I wasn't even comfortable with my siblings coming with me into the building, but there was no way I could change their minds. Plus, Lucy was just as much their sister as she was mine.

"Shall we start moving?" I questioned.

"Yes," the two answered in unison.

"Okay," I said, stepping in front of them, leading the way. I kept my hand on Rhindon as we rounded the side of the building, looking for an entrance. Nothing was going to potentially harm my siblings as long as I had anything to do with it.

"Look, a window," Susan whispered. My eyes glanced in the direction of her voice. Sure enough, there was a see-through block of glass about four feet above her head.

"Edmund, get down and let me stand on your back. I'm the tallest, so I might be able to see something," I pointed out. Edmund did so and I carefully stepped on his back. Even though he was strong, I still tried not to put all my weight on him. I reached my hands up and onto the windowsill and pushed myself up to the point where I could see. There was no doubt in my mind that my eyes must have gotten wide. This didn't seem possible, and I had seen many things since my time in Narnia. Inside were at least thirty soldiers, of the Calormene and Telmarine races, and no doubt there were more around here somewhere. What?! Since when did Calormen and Telmar have an alliance? I brushed off the thought as my eyes scanned the room, searching for one target. And there she was.

Sitting in the corner of the dark room was a girl in a bluish-gray dress with medium-length brown hair. Lucy. She didn't look disturbed at all to be sitting there with all the soldiers passing her by. In fact, she was sitting there _smiling_ as the men crossed her path. Then something briefly caught my eye. In the corner opposite of Lucy there was a door. An entrance. The thing we had been waiting for. I lowered myself and jumped off of Ed's back.

"She's in there, but so is a substantial group of Calormene and Telmarine soldiers. My guess is that there are about thirty of them; unfortunately that makes ten each. I don't know how Lucy will be acting either, so be precautious. There is a door on the east side of the building; it's the only entrance I see. We'll have to use it. Be prepared for anything, but you don't have to go in. I'll go alone if I must," I explained. And I would. Aslan would help me through this demented trial.

"No way, Pete. We didn't come all this way just to hang you out to dry," Edmund stated. Susan nodded in agreement. I sighed, secretly wishing I was going alone. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt my siblings, though, not a chance.

"All right, thank you. But I must ask of both of you, please stay safe. Don't worry about my fate. If something happens, something happens. As soon as things get ugly, if they do, I want you to leave. I'll fight as long as I possibly can to save Lucy and you both," I declared. Edmund stared at me.

"We won't leave you, Peter. You mean as much to us as we do to you. You're high king for goodness sakes! If we were to abandon you, that would leave Susan in charge. Goodness knows she wouldn't be able to handle _that_," Edmund put in. He threw a glance at our sister, who glared back at him. I watched and gave a chuckle as Su smacked his arm. "But seriously, Pete, we're not going to leave," he added. I nodded. I should've known I couldn't change their minds.

I let in a deep breath and took a step forward, making as little noise as possible. I barely heard the two as they followed behind me. My heart nearly stopped as I stepped on a twig and it made a cracking noise. I paused, but then realized it was ridiculous because no one in there could possibly hear that sound. _Breathe, Peter_, I silently scolded myself.

We turned the corner and I faintly saw the handle of the door. I kept my body close to the building, just in case anyone would be exiting the structure. My arm was now inches from the door as I reached for the knob. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Half startled, I turned to look.

"Peter, are you sure you want to do this?" Susan questioned. I nodded.

"Yes, Su. We're not going to abandon our youngest sibling," I declared. A look of understanding fell upon her features. Her hand fell of my shoulder and I grasped the doorknob. I turned it and it seemed as if everything began moving in slow motion. The sound thundered in my ears and the small amount of light coming from the cracked open door felt like it could blind my eyes. I pulled it open enough to peek an eye in.

A Calormene was standing about five feet away, and the rest of the men were pacing the middle of the large room. I reported what I had seen back to my siblings. Susan began stringing an arrow while Edmund unsheathed his sword. I did the same with Rhindon, never taking my other hand off of the knob. Edmund nodded his head towards me, as if he was telling me to go in. I heard my heart beat louder and louder, and then I opened the door completely.

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**A/N:** So... what do you think is going to happen??? Hmmm...... :) Okay, well I hope you all have a wonderful week! Please review!


	8. For Lucy

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia. Thank C.S. Lewis for that one!!! :)

Hey everyone!! Sorry I was kind of late updating this... some things came up and I just couldn't find the time to post it and make it as interesting as possible for you to read! :P Thanks again to my reviewers and to those of you that have stuck with this story but haven't reviewed yet. I'm glad you're keeping up with it!!! Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer... here is chapter 8!!!

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**Chapter 8:** For Lucy

I held Rhindon out protectively in front of me, my breathing increasing heavily due to the adrenaline rush. To my surprise, no one had attacked us. No one had even seemed affected, let alone taken aback by our unprompted arrival. I felt the eyes of all the men pierce into my skin, and then a low chuckle escaped one of their lips.

"High King Peter, Queen Susan, King Edmund…" came the mysterious voice. A dark-skinned Calormene with an even darker colored beard stepped forward. "We were beginning to wonder when you all would 'grace' us with your presence," he said, his accent heavy. There was something in his tone that sounded excessively sinister, almost as if he was spitting out venom as well as his words.

"Give us our sister," I demanded. I made it short and to the point; I wasn't playing around with so much at stake. The man grinned.

"You see, I just can't do that. Lucy has become very… useful," he stated. He began rubbing his coarse hands together, as if he was plotting something in his twisted mind.

"And how would that be?" Edmund shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"You see, little _king_,"- I heard Edmund give a slight snarl- "if it wasn't for us finding your sister in her, let's say, 'predicament,' then it wouldn't have lured the three of you here. Lucy is still under her trance; she has been _very_ good to us. I'm just afraid we can't let you have her. We've grown very… attached to her staying with us," he retorted, carefully choosing his words. A look of contentment filled his features, making him smile from ear to ear. I was on the brink of losing it.

"Oh hang it all! Just give us our sister!" I demanded once again. The sick man chuckled. He was clearly gaining enjoyment from our lengthening dispute.

"Don't think you'll get her back that easily, _King_ Peter. She tried to kill you, remember? I was there, behind you in the trees. Don't think I didn't see the resentment in her actions. You mean nothing to her anymore… none of you do," His words were spoken slowly, as if he desired for them to sink into our thoughts, and then into our very souls. His hardened eyes stared at each of us, trying to place themselves inside our heads to impair our proper judgment. It wouldn't work on me. I knew the real Lucy was in there somewhere; we just had to overturn the curse that had caught her in its grasp. I was suddenly forced out of my thoughts as a man charged at me. My sword met his just before he could cut my arm. And then our war had begun.

The man- a Telmarine- and I stood en garde, each waiting for the other to strike. But I wasn't going to stand around and linger. Rhindon and the man barely became acquainted before he would speak no more. Three men attacked me this time. I hardly had a moment to react as their swords and scimitars plunged towards different parts of my body. I back stepped, spun, and missed each blow. I slashed, aiming for the thigh area. Two of the three fell, never to rise up again. The other, though, swung at me, planning to cut my neck. I purposely fell to the ground and rolled to miss the attempt. I shot Rhindon up, piercing the man in his stomach. I tumbled backwards so the man wouldn't fall on top of me. I quickly hopped to my feet, entirely forgetting about my injured ribs.

"Susan!" I heard Edmund scream. My attention turned fully to my sister. She was having trouble re-stringing an arrow as the men surrounded her. I ran to her aid, catching the men behind her off guard. Rhindon took care of them, but the men who had been antagonizing Susan had now turned to face me. One of the Calormene's scimitars came dangerously close to my head. Our weapons made a sharp clanging sound as they struck each other. I slid Rhindon off of his blade, spun it in my hand, and stabbed him in the side, all in less than two seconds. I then saw a man in my peripheral vision; he was down before the thought had registered that I hit him.

Death was a terrible thing, and I hated being the provider of so much destruction. Taking a human life had never been something I would have pondered upon back in England… I would have thought myself mad if even a trace of the horrid thoughts crept into my mind. But now, here in Narnia, I was taking a life as if it was nothing simpler than wiping dust from a table… just an effortless movement of my hand. It was a hard thing to wrap my mind around. But it must be done; it was for Lucy, and in the long run, for Narnia.

I had no time to breathe, man after man kept attacking me. It was almost as if they were coming out of nowhere. Edmund and Susan were battling two each, and I was taking on three. My siblings and I were the most skilled contenders here, but I couldn't say that the others weren't presenting a good match. I lost my focus for a fraction of a second, and then I felt my left shoulder beginning to sting. A Telmarine's sword had grazed the area; he was the first of the three to go down. The other two weren't much harder to handle.

I glanced at my surroundings; there were only a few men left._ Thank you, Aslan, for giving us the strength to last this long, _I thought. I charged at one of them and he was gone within seconds. I wiped my brow with my left arm and winced as my shoulder slightly burned. I shook it off and ran towards the other soldiers. One Edmund was handling-very well, I might add-and the other met me halfway. He jabbed at me, but I lunged at him first, sending him toppling to the ground with Rhindon leaving a deep red stain in his side. I took in a deep breath, but then heard a blood-piercing scream. My eyes shot to Lucy. The dark-featured Calormene who first spoke was roughly holding her by the arm, aiming his curved blade at her neck.

"Unhand her!" I yelled. Tears were streaming down her face and the man was laughing… laughing at my sisters' despair. I felt my grip on Rhindon become unbelievably tight, my knuckles turning white as my jaw clenched from sheer anger. He turned his focus to me.

"Ah, Peter, do you really think she'll take any charity from you? She wants you dead, remember?" he said. Malice was written harshly in his words.

"I don't care! Let her go!" I screamed. If he dared hurt her… I couldn't even finish the thought. Instead I ran towards him, Rhindon close at hand. He shot out his blade and jabbed at my side, never letting go of Lucy. Luckily, though, the scimitar was now away from her body. I hopped back, missing the cut by a mere inch. He then swiped at my feet, but I jumped and avoided the slicing. I forced Rhindon at him. He turned and missed. My heart almost stopped. I almost hit Lucy- my own sister! - with my most prized possession. The man chuckled darkly.

"Ah, is Queen Lucy getting in your way? I can arrange to fix that," he stated, slamming Lucy hard into a wall. Her body went limp and she slid down, not getting back up. I could feel my blood boiling and my adrenaline rushing. He would pay for that; the cost would be his life. I let out a battle cry as I brought Rhindon down just above the Calormene's head. He spun away, missing my blow. But I didn't care; I would try again and again until I succeeded. I kept hearing his laugh playing over in my head as I desperately swung at him. He was giving out as many blows as I. He was the hardest opponent I had faced all day. I had never wanted anyone dead more than I had wanted this repulsive man to be._ Aslan, forgive me for my unpleasant thoughts,_ I prayed. Suddenly I heard Susan shriek.

_No, nothing can happen to her, either! _I thought frantically. Out of instinct I turned in her direction for a fraction of a second, and that was all it took. Before I knew it, fire was racing up my side. I grasped it and realized my hand was wet… with my blood. _He must have stabbed me_, I thought. He began laughing again, this time more powerfully. The sound intensified in my ears as the other noises faded away. I could feel the energy draining from my body. With what strength I had left, I took a chance and flung out Rhindon. Unfortunately I only scraped his upper leg. The pain forced me to my knees. My sight was sliding in and out of focus.

"Peter!" came Edmund's voice. I could barely hear it. I felt myself begin to sink down as the seconds passed. The last thing I saw before the darkness engulfed me was the Calormene falling, Edmund's sword in his stomach.

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**A/N: **So, what do you think of what happened??? I'm curious to see what you guys will say. Sorry about the length... it's a bit shorter than the previous chapters. The next one will be longer, though, I promise! Well, if I don't update beforehand, have an awesome Halloween!!! Please review! :)


	9. Workings of the Unconscious Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia. It all belongs to C.S. Lewis. :)

Hey everyone!!! I hope you all had a fun Halloween! I can't believe it's November 1st already! That means 55 days 'til Christmas and then 61 days 'til New Years! This year has gone by so quickly!!! Well, anyways, thanks to those of you who have reviewed! Your comments are greatly appreciated! Allrighty, (love that word! :P) well here is chapter 9!

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**Chapter 9:** Workings of the Unconscious Mind

I felt a hand slightly graze my cheek and then a light breeze chill my body. I was freezing and everything hurt, especially my side. I was exceedingly tired; all I wanted to do was sleep. The next thing I became aware of was a hand on my chest, right above my heart. It gently rested there for a moment and then pulled away.

"Yes, for the hundredth time, he's breathing," I heard Edmund say. He sounded a bit frustrated, but I could tell he was just worried. Typical Edmund; he hated having people detect his emotions. I took in the lightest breath I could manage. Pain shot up my ribs faster than an arrow in the wind. I squeezed my eyes even more tightly shut, but let no sound escape my lips.

"Peter?" came Susan's voice. It sounded as if she had recently cried; her voice had a touch of quiver to it. I didn't want to answer because that would require talking and opening my eyes, both of which I felt too worn out to do.

"Peter?" she asked again. Her fingers stroked through my hair. I wasn't ready to get up yet; I felt too exhausted. I could tell my siblings were concerned, though.

"Su, let him be. He'll wake up on his own terms," Edmund put in. I heard Susan sigh as her hand pulled away from me.

"Is… is he going to be all right?" piped in a small voice. _Lucy_? I wondered. Was she okay? Was she herself again? I needed to know these answers, but I guess there was only one way to find out. Little by little I slowly opened my eyes. The sun shone a bit too brightly, forcing me to blink repeatedly before I could keep them open, which was still a struggle.

"Peter!" Susan took in a sigh of relief. "We were so worried about you!"

"Mmm," I groaned tiredly. Then Lucy came into view. Her face was red and damp; I could tell she had been crying.

"How are you feeling?" she questioned. My eyes met hers. Tears threatened to spill down her crimson-colored cheeks.

"Tired," I answered truthfully. There was no point in trying to make my situation sound any better; it was too obvious to them how I felt already. What I had previously said was a slight understatement, anyways.

"What about your side?" Edmund wondered.

"Ridiculously sore," I replied. It hurt just to say that much. Then I heard a sniffle. Lucy turned away from me and put her face in her hands. I tilted my head towards her and gave my two other siblings a confused look; I didn't feel like speaking.

"She's blaming herself for your injury. It's really taking a toll on her," Edmund put in quietly, so Lucy wouldn't hear. That hurt, worse than any physical pain ever could.

"Lucy, I'm going to be fine," I assured. Aslan's mane, I sounded weak. She turned towards me, eyes glassy.

"That's not the point, Peter. I still caused you more pain. I can't change that no matter how much I want to. I was so scared after I returned to my original self… scared for you," Lucy explained. So she was normal again, but how?

"What happened after I passed out?" I inquired. All three of them stared at me.

"When I realized you were injured, I ran over and struck the man when he wasn't expecting it; he was too caught up in himself for hurting you to notice me. After he was taken care of, I ran to Lucy and gave her some of the cordial. She was fine after the wall incident and was back to her usual self once again. Immediately when I realized she was all right I ran to you and gave you the cordial, too. The bleeding stopped almost instantly but I'm afraid you did lose a little blood. There's nothing to worry about, though. Anyways, I carried you outside and tried to make you as comfortable as possible. You were out of it for a good forty-five minutes, I'd say, and you were just so... pale. We were all worried, especially since you hadn't woken up yet. Thank Aslan you're all right," Edmund explained, his expression softening. Well, if I didn't feel bad before, I most definitely felt bad now.

"I'm so sorry, everyone," I declared.

"Don't blame yourself. It's no one's fault except that ruthless Calormene's," Susan added. She shook her head in disgust, probably reminiscing on today's previous events.

"So how are you doing, Pete?" Edmund asked. I gave a small shrug.

"I'm exhausted and my side sears," I replied. It seemed as if I was talking so much lately, but I knew it was just my ribs smarting at me.

"You should probably try to rest up for a little while. You've been through a lot today," Susan pointed out, her hand beginning to stroke my forehead. Usually I would have objected, but I was just so tired.

"Okay, but first, come here, Lucy," I said. She scooted over towards me. I held out my hand, and she took it.

"Lucy, please don't feel guilty. I love you, sister, and I will be fine," I explained. Sure, I'd be weak for awhile, something that I didn't want to admit, but yes, I would be fine. Hopefully after I rested I would be a bit stronger. She nodded and lightly hugged me, carefully avoiding my side.

"I love you," she whispered, the wide grin of hers I loved so much spreading across her face. I smiled. Just one more thing before I let sleep overcome me.

"Where's Telula?" I questioned.

"Oh, she ran down to the stream to get you some water. She'll be back soon," Edmund answered. I nodded.

"Now sleep, Peter," Susan urged. I sighed, careful not to breathe in too deeply. And then I let my eyes close. The exhaustion took me in rather quickly…

_I was running, faster than I had ever run before. From what, though, I wasn't quite sure. I turned my head back to look behind me. Susan, Edmund, and Lucy were trailing me, and slightly farther back was a whole army of Calormene and Telmarine soldiers. I pulled out Rhindon and yelled,_

_"Save yourselves! I'll hold them off!"_

_"No, Peter, we're not leaving you!" Edmund promised. How familiar those words sounded… Suddenly a deafening scream filled the crisp air, followed by a cry of "Lucy!" from Susan. A bearded man was holding a knife to my youngest sister's neck. _

_"No!" I yelled, sprinting to Lucy. But my efforts were in vain, for I was too late. She fell to the ground, never to stand again. Tears stained my vision as I stabbed the demented Calormene. But he wouldn't die. Every time Rhindon struck his skin, the area configured itself into a mist, the tiny particles rushing away from my blade. When I removed my sword, the area joined together like puzzle pieces, perfectly normal again. The sick man laughed as he watched me attempt to kill him. The sound was utterly disgusting. Then I heard another yell in despair._

_"No, Susan!" came Ed's voice. I turned towards her and watched as she charged at a cluster of soldiers, her bow at the ready. She aimed and shot, but the arrow just flew through a soldier's misty skin. And then they attacked her. Susan was gone, too. I could feel the hot moisture running down my cheeks. My sisters, the two girls I had loved and cared for all my life, were gone. And then a cry of pain filled my ears...__**Edmund**_**.** _Though I didn't see it, I could feel it. Now I was all alone._

_ I sank to my knees in the midst of all the soldiers rushing towards me. I had failed. My siblings were gone. Nothing mattered at that moment except my failure. I couldn't even keep them safe! Edmund… Lucy… Susan… their faces captured every pigment of my mind. I would never see either of my sisters' beautiful smiles; I would never hear their light and airy laughs or see that certain sparkle in their eyes when they were happy. I would never find enjoyment from one of Edmund's witty comebacks, or quarrel with him only to forgive him within a day's time. Life as I knew it was over, and I could never gain the lives of my siblings back. Suddenly pain exploded up my side; a Calormene had cut me vertically across my ribcage._

_I clutched the injury and closed my eyes. I re-opened them, and everyone was gone. I was alone, weakened on the battlefield. And then the ground beneath me began to sink, the grass and dirt disappearing. It was replaced by clear blue water, gallons and gallons of it enclosing around my body. I couldn't swim; the throbbing pain in my side was too much. The water was reaching my neck, coming dangerously close to my mouth and constricting my breathing. I felt myself growing weaker and weaker, and then I heard a voice._

_"Peter," it said. Its tone was low and strong, but it made a glorious feeling dwell inside me._

_"Peter," it repeated. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Place all your trust in me, because I will always be with you. We will never part, for I am by your side. Never lose your faith," The words were so pure and a new warmth was set upon my heart. Only one thing in the world could ever make me feel this way._

_"Aslan!" I exclaimed. But my mouth became full of water and I felt myself become completely immersed. The last thing I saw was a golden figure, a lion, perhaps, and then the water drug me down to its depths._

"Peter," a voice was calling. It was not Aslan's, yet it was familiar in an entirely different way.

"Peter!" it exclaimed. I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek, as if a slap from a hand.

"Wake up!" the voice urged. Wake up? But if I was asleep, how come my face was wet? I opened my eyes just as Susan splashed some water upon my skin.

"By Jove, Susan! What are you doing?" I questioned, surprised. I found it a bit odd that she was trying to wake me after she was the one who insisted that I rest.

"Peter, you must have been having a bad dream. You were fidgeting around and we were afraid you would aggravate your side. Edmund tried gently slapping your face while I splashed you with water. You wouldn't wake up and you kept yelling for us, and for Aslan," Susan explained, looking troubled.

I looked around as everything came flooding back. It was all a dream! My siblings… they were alive! I could barely restrain myself from rejoicing. But yet, if it was all a dream, how come Aslan's voice was so real? Was he trying to tell me something? _Do not worry, for I am with you, _his voice echoed in my mind. Maybe he was trying to warn me that more trouble was in our future. Huh, it was something to contemplate about. I didn't realize how much my side hurt until now. I must have tweaked it wrong during my sleeping fit. I gingerly grasped it. Lucy rubbed my arm.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" she wondered. I stared into her eyes, which were filled with genuine concern for my well-being. I wasn't quite sure if I should tell them or not; it was my duty to keep them out of harm's way, not to worry them.

"It was just a dream, Lu. Definitely not of the best sorts, but it still only amounts to a dream," I explained. _Or a warning,_ I thought to myself.

"But why did you keep yelling for us?" Susan pressed. She was always one that wasn't satisfied until she had gotten all the details.

"Because of some things that happened, that's all. Don't let it bother you," I declared. Susan still didn't seem quite content.

"But what ha-"she started. Edmund cut her off.

"Su, if he wanted to share his dream with us, he would have. It's none of our business as to what occurred. If he wants to explain, then eventually he will," he put in. I felt very thankful for his input. He had had his own share of nightmares due to his stay with the White Witch a few years back. He knew what it was like all too well, unfortunately.

"So, umm… how are you feeling?" Lucy questioned, deliberately changing the subject. Good question. How was I doing? Well, I didn't feel quite so tired, but my side still hurt with a vengeance.

"My side hasn't changed much, but what can I expect? I'm not as tired, though," I replied.

"Can I get you anything?" came a high-pitched voice from behind me. I strained my neck to see Telula staring down at me. So that's where she had been hiding all this time.

"No, thanks," I said. She nodded. I let out a light breath.

"Do you want to rest a while longer?" Susan asked.

"No, I'll be all right," I answered. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do right now, though. I didn't even know if I could sit up yet. But I decided not to worry about that right now. Instead, I still had a few questions left unanswered…

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**A/N: **Okay, so what did you think of Peter's dream??? Please review!


	10. Explanations

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia, but it's definitely on my Christmas wish list!!! :P

Hey everyone!!! How are you guys doing? I've been so busy lately... it's unreal! That's why I'm a bit late on updating this... sorry! This story is going by so quickly! I can't believe I'm already on chapter 10 and all of you have been following it! Thank you guys so much! It makes my day when I see how many of you have checked out my story.

** kutlessgurl90-** Thanks so much for your review! I love reading your input! It makes me smile! ---- :)

Okay well, here is chapter 10!!!

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**Chapter 10: **Explanations

"Lu, if you don't want to talk about it, that's quite all right. But I was just wondering, how were you put under that curse?" I asked. Lucy looked at me; the expression on her face appearing to be ashamed. She sighed.

"It was the apple," she said in a low voice. "I thought it tasted exceptionally good, too good. After I finished my half, I knew something was rather out of the ordinary, but I didn't say anything because I figured it was just me. Come to find out, I had consumed a bad seed, which created all my problems. I was fine for the first few hours, but after it fully digested I began to change. During the night I was pulled away by that dark-haired Calormene. I didn't object, either. It was so strange, almost as if he had control over me. Anyways, he trained me to hate you all, and then when I saw you at the river…" She broke off, a tear running down her pale cheek. She took in a deep breath, continuing.

"I couldn't stop myself. I was supposed to kill you, Peter, and I thought I did. And I was _happy _about it. _I was happy! _I'm so disgusted with myself!" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Lucy, don't treat yourself so harshly over this. It's in the past, and I'm alive. There's no use in fretting about it now," I declared. She nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

"There is something you need to know, though. All of you need to know," Lucy stated. She stared at each of us with uncertainty in her eyes.

"While I was with the Calormene- his name was Arahdah, by the way- I heard many things that weren't so appealing now that I'm in my right mind. Arahdah was the leader of the group, the Calormenes and the Telmarines, I might add. Anyways, the two groups came together and were planning to take over Narnia. The first step in the plan was to lure you three to their headquarters; they thought they could defeat you. After they brought you all to the building, their goal was, inevitably, to kill you. And thanks to me they were way too close. I made it rather easy for them once they found me. You see, before they knew I would cooperate, they were just going to take us all by surprise the night they 'kidnapped' me. But instead, they thought it would be amusing to take me and see you all suffer for it.

"At any rate, Arahdah turned on me and then tried to murder me, and Peter came to the rescue. Fortunately you held him off, Peter, but then he smashed me into that wall. Then after Edmund gave me the cordial, I was normal again, thank Aslan. But the point is… there are more of them. The others will find out soon enough that you killed their companions, and they'll want revenge. We need to get away from here as soon as possible, before the enemy returns," Lucy explained.

A simple 'wow' was all Susan could muster out. I could hardly believe it myself. Calormen and Telmar wanted to take over Narnia? I just couldn't understand. We had never had any problems with these two countries before. We were going to have quite a battle ahead of us, especially if we were to run into those others. _Maybe that's what Aslan was trying to warn me,_ I thought briefly. Then a startling pain inched its way up my injury. I gasped and clenched my teeth, also tightly closing my eyes.

"Peter! Are you okay?" Susan questioned with a twinge of uneasiness in her tone.

"Yes," I breathed out. I cautiously ran my hand up and down my side. This was going to be very difficult, I realized. I hadn't even moved and it was hurting me this much already; I didn't want to even think about how it would feel trying to sit.

"Oh, Peter, I almost forgot! Have you ever wondered why the cordial won't heal your ribs?" Lucy asked. Come to think of it, yes, I did find that strikingly odd.

"Yes, Lucy," I answered.

"Well, I heard the men talking and during the first ambush when you got shot twice, it was with poison arrows. They were dipped in the juice of some sort of flower that grows on the outskirts of the Calormene desert. Lakiyla, I believe the plant was called. Anyways, the poison is meant to counteract with the fire flower juice in the cordial. It was only strong enough to affect your bones, though. That's why the cuts on your skin still heal. I can't imagine how they could have found that sort of plant, though, seeing as though I've never heard of it," Lucy explained. Not exactly what I had been thinking, but it did make sense.

_Wonderful, I was shot by poison arrows_, I thought to myself. Just my luck, huh? Oh well, thank Aslan my siblings were unharmed and I could, though it was painful, still manage.

"We'll need to move soon, Peter. The horses are where we left them; a couple minutes away," Susan declared. I nodded, knowing it was unavoidable. Edmund shot a worried glance in my direction.

"Peter, are you going to be able to get up? You did get stabbed earlier, you know," he said. Leave it to Edmund to worry about me pushing my limits, which I would do anyways.

"Do I really have a choice, Ed?" I wondered. He sighed.

"No, I guess not," he answered. I could tell this was getting to him. He knew this was going to hurt me, and I didn't think any of them wanted to see that.

"Well, are you ready?" Susan asked. I looked into her eyes. They were cast with a tone of doubt, making an obvious distinction between her blue orbs and her feelings.

"As I'll ever be," I answered. I guess that was the truth. Edmund nodded as he sat down next to me. He leaned down and extended his arm around my back, right underneath my shoulder blades. With his other hand, he put my arm over his shoulders. And gently he raised me up. I hissed as a mind-blowing pain forced itself up my side. My breathing was harsh and quick-paced as I tried to focus on something other than the fire that blazed up my injury. I squeezed Ed's arm and fully leaned into him. The flame in my side was getting to the point of where it was feeling white-hot. I drew in a painful breath, and then Edmund stopped.

"You're up, Pete," he stated. Really? That was quick. Too bad the pain didn't end that speedily.

"You can open your eyes," Lucy put in. I hadn't even realized they were closed. I opened them and took in a breath. Suddenly the world was spinning around me. I closed my eyes again and drew in a shaky breath, putting my hand to my head.

"What's wrong, Pete?" Ed wondered.

"Dizzy," I declared. I could feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest as I breathed harder. Ed rubbed my back.

"I'm not surprised. You did lose a little blood, you know," he stated. I sat silently and waited for it to pass. This didn't occur for another minute or so. When I felt halfway decent, I opened my eyes and lowered my hand.

"You any better?" Susan questioned.

"Yes," I breathed. I must not have looked any better, though, for Edmund said,

"Why don't you rest for a few minutes before we do anything else? I think that really took a lot out of you."

I didn't object, I just nodded. I was still trying to catch my breath, anyways. Every intake of air, no matter how light it was, felt like a hundred arrows piercing my side. I had never felt this weak before, but I wasn't going to let it prevent me from a safe return. I would manage… somehow. I closed my eyes and leaned farther into Ed. I felt Lucy's small hand intertwine with mine. Susan put a hand on my shoulder. And for the first time all day, I felt relaxed, besides the obvious pain in my side. It didn't last as long as I'd wished, though; five minutes at the most. Then Susan said,

"Well, are you ready?" I looked at her.

"Yes, I'm sorry that took so long," I apologized.

"Don't fret on it, Peter. You're surely exhausted. You haven't had much sleep lately and you're injured. We understand," Susan declared. I nodded and scooted up, Edmund still bracing me.

"All right, I'm going to slowly stand, okay? Let me know if it's too much," he explained.

"I will," I assured. Susan pulled my arm over her shoulders, giving me a tender smile. I returned the favor. And then they stood up. I pulled my legs up and my torso followed. I lowered my head as I allowed a wince to cross my features. I held on tightly to my siblings; as much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't stand without them for the time being. I absolutely resented it when they saw me in the state I was in. I tried to disguise my discomfort, but it was nearly impossible to achieve. Then the lightheadedness settled in.

For not losing too much blood, this was utterly ridiculous! I let my air in and out slowly, trying to focus on something other than the numbing sensation taking place inside my head.

"What's going on, Pete?" Ed wondered.

"Lightheaded," I simply stated. Lucy looked concerned.

"Do you need to lie back down?" she asked.

"No, it'll eventually pass," I promised. Well, I hoped, at least. I took in a large sum of air trying to calm myself, but all I received was a burn in my side. I let go of Susan so I could rub my injury. For a moment I imagined myself back in the building, holding my side with blood flowing freely through my fingers. I could picture the sick man, Arahdah, as he laughed in my face, thinking he had given the blow that would end my seventeen-year-old life. But he was wrong, and he was dead, thanks to Edmund. No doubt these images would haunt me forever, but I couldn't let them phase me now. There was work to do. We needed to get back to the safety of Cair Paravel, where willing soldiers would bravely go to battle to save our beloved Narnia from our new enemies. My siblings and I needed to get back to our official work as well; we had been gone for a few precious days.

_Only a few days,_ I thought. Goodness, it seemed like it had been months since we all had been treated to the comforts of our wonderful castle. I let the thoughts of home slip away as I put my arm back over Susan. I then realized that my lightheadedness had finally subsided, thank Aslan.

"Well, Peter, I'd have to say we have about half a day longer to reach Cair Paravel, am I right?" Edmund wondered. I did the calculations quickly in my head and nodded.

"Yes, but we'll only gain a few hours time tonight because the sun is already beginning to set," I pointed out, looking at our surroundings.

"Then we best start to get a move on," Susan declared.

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**A/N:** I hope all of you liked this chapter and I hope it answered some questions you might have had. One of my personal favorite chapters next, so be on the lookout! Please Review!!! :D


	11. Brotherly Bonding

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hey everyone!!! Umm, first off, I have a friend who was involved in a serious car accident last week, so if you could keep her in your thoughts that would be greatly appreciated. On a happier note, there are now 11 chapters in this story! This is my favorite one so far, and I hope you guys like it as much as I do! As the title suggests, there will be bonding between Edmund and Peter, and I am a huge fan when it comes to that! :P Thanks again kutlessgurl90 for reviewing! Okay, well here is chapter 11!!!

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**Chapter 11:** Brotherly Bonding

"Su, why don't you go get the horses so Peter won't have to walk that far?" Ed asked.

"All right, but if I get lost I'm blaming you," Susan replied, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Telula, why don't you go with her just to be safe?" Edmund questioned. The dwarf nodded and followed our sister into the slowly-darkening wilderness. I was leaning fully into Ed now, and he didn't stagger or complain one bit.

"Lucy, do you, by any chance, know where Midnight got to?" he inquired. Lucy's face lit up.

"Yes, actually, I do! I'll be right back," she exclaimed, running towards the back side of the building. I heard Edmund sigh in my ear.

"Aslan's mane, it's been a long day, hasn't it? The Great Lion certainly is testing our unwavering faith. But he's been good to us…" He broke off. "Peter, it's a bit of an embarrassment to admit this, but earlier, I was so afraid that we were going to lose you. It was scarier than anything I have ever experienced, even my time with the White Witch. I don't know what I, our family, or even Narnia would do without you. I know we've had our disagreements, but I love you, Pete, and I can't stand the thought of losing you. It's painful to even think of it. If something were to happen to you…" he trailed off, looking in the opposite direction.

I couldn't believe it. My witty little brother, whom up to a few years ago hadn't a care in the world except about himself, was speaking of his emotions to me. He had never been a deep person and I would never have dreamed about him telling me how he felt. I was practically speechless. I don't think he'd ever understand how much his words meant to me. _He has grown so much in the time we have spent in Narnia,_ I thought. I carefully clapped him on the shoulder so I wouldn't lose my balance.

"Thanks, Edmund, and I love you too. But I have to say that I am glad it's me injured instead of you or the girls. If I had to see any of you suffer and know that I failed protecting you, then I'm not quite sure how I would handle it," I confessed. I saw Ed's normal pale skin tone begin to change into a bright red. A sheepish grin pulled at his face and his chocolate brown eyes were tinted with guilt.

"All right, since we're having this strange and completely unusual type of conversation, I'm going to be one hundred percent honest with you. Peter, during that first ambush when you got knocked off of Bill, I _did_ get injured. I went after one of those idiots who shot you and he sliced me across the arm reasonably well. Of course after that I killed him and another man, but then Lucy took care of me. She gave me the cordial and used water from her canteen to wash the blood out of my sleeve. And then I was perfectly fine," he told me. He looked down at the ground, most likely not wanting to create eye contact with me. I was completely thrown off guard.

"Ed, why didn't you tell me?" I asked. But I couldn't help letting a large grin escape my lips. I was so proud of my brother, more than he would know. Edmund shrugged.

"I guess I didn't want to worry you," he admitted, looking back up. He saw me smiling and began to chuckle in embarrassment. I joined him. I could hardly believe that Ed and I were having a serious conversation.

"Don't get me wrong, this was nice and all, but let's go back to me cracking jokes about Telula, okay? It's not quite so, umm, awkward," Edmund pointed out. He gave me half a grin.

"You know, I do wonder what goes through that girl's mind sometimes. I mean, one moment she seems so fragile that you'd think just by breathing on her she would break, and the next she can be completely overbearing," I put in.

"Yeah and whenever she looks at you her heart melts into a million pieces. Sometimes I swear I could upchuck!" Edmund shook his head in disgust. I smiled and tousled his hair playfully. He let out a muffled, "Hey! Knock it off!" but I just laughed to myself.

"Yes, it is quite… strange trying to speak to her. I wish she wasn't crushing on me, or at least I wish she wasn't flirting with me," I said. Sure, Telula was nice and all, but it's not like I was going to fall in love with her. I hoped she knew that, for I didn't want to hurt her in the future. Once I stopped messing with Edmund he looked up at me through his disheveled hair and gave me a blank stare, and then a small smile began to pull at his lips. I knew that look; he had one of his infamous comments to make.

"So, Pete, when are the wedding invitations being sent out, and am I the best man?" Ed questioned. I nudged him in the side and almost choked from laughing so hard. Then it suddenly turned into a gasp as I realized how much it hurt. My grip tightened on my brother as I placed a hand on my midsection. He looked concerned.

"Umm, no more jokes until your ribs are better, okay?" Edmund suggested. His tone was a blend of seriousness and worry put into one. I nodded, knowing that it was probably for the best. Then I heard the gentle clip-clop of hooves beating against the ground. I saw Lucy riding to us on her horse, Midnight.

"Welcome back," I greeted. She smiled, but then it turned into a frown.

"Peter, you don't look well," she declared.

"Yes, well his ribs just flared up again, Lu," Edmund explained. I wondered how I looked right now for Lucy to notice a problem so quickly. My face was probably pale and my eyes most likely weren't the same vibrant shade of blue.

"Oh Peter, I wish I could do something for you. I can't stand seeing you like this, and the only thing I can offer you is my cordial. But it's already been proven that that won't work," Lucy pointed out. She sighed.

"You're not the only one who hopes he has a speedy recovery," Ed put in. I think I hated seeing them worry about me almost as much as they hated seeing me in the state I was in. I just wanted to get back home so I could heal up and my siblings wouldn't be so concerned.

"Well, shall we go now?" came a voice from behind me. I hadn't even noticed Susan and Telula join us with the horses.

"Yes, that would be wise," Edmund declared. So Susan led Bill over to Ed and me. He slowly and carefully helped me onto my horse, but I couldn't say there wasn't any pain involved. I held onto the reigns to steady myself and gripped my knees against Bill's sides. I squinted my eyes because the setting sun was obstructing my vision. I was surprised my eyes didn't completely shut; I was still tired and they were already halfway there.

"Okay, well, let's do get moving. The earlier we start, the earlier we'll get home," Susan stated. She and Telula moved to the front of us to take the lead. Edmund went up beside them, for he had a very good sense of direction. Lucy stayed parallel with me while the others were our guides. We all talked every now and then but for the most part we were all silent. We rode for nearly four hours, which made for about and eight hour day tomorrow. Edmund spotted a patch of grass large enough for all of us to lie down in. I lowered myself off of Bill and carefully held onto him as I made my way to the ground. Lucy scrambled over to me to lie down beside me.

"How're you doing?" she wondered.

"Better," I assured. It definitely wasn't a full recovery, but at least I wasn't quite as bad as earlier.

"That's wonderful! Just think, Peter, after the morning sun awakens us we'll be on our way home! I can't imagine how great it will feel to be back at the Cair after all this! Especially for you! Goodness knows you've been through so much lately, it ought to feel utterly heavenly for you to be home! You can rest peacefully and heal up as well. And you won't have to worry about us all the time," Lucy explained. She shot me a disapproving glance which eventually turned into a laugh, seeing as she knew she could never change my mind set when it came to my siblings. I smiled and said,

"Yes, it will feel quite remarkable to be home." Only eight more hours of riding, provided nothing slows us down on the way. But what if something did? What if the enemy had seen us as we were making our descent and had followed our every move, waiting on the perfect time to strike? No, nothing was going to happen. Aslan would take care of us, and we were too close to home for anything to occur now. I brushed those thoughts away and made myself as comfortable as possible, closing my eyes. The only thing I heard was the sound of everyone else's light breathing; they were asleep. And then a voice startled me, almost making me jump.

"Rest assured, Son of Adam," it declared. The voice was full of authority, yet gentle and kind. It was Aslan's. My eyes darted around for any sign of the Great Lion. He was nowhere to be found. I cautiously sat up to look for him more, but it caused me a great deal of pain. I let out a small cry as my eyes searched the perimeter. Nothing. One of my siblings stirred; I turned to see who it was.

"Pete, why are you sitting up?" Edmund asked quietly.

"Aslan spoke to me and I was trying to look for him," I answered. Edmund stood up and walked over to where I was sitting.

"Aslan spoke to you," It wasn't a question; Ed never doubted me when I was talking about Aslan. His eyes looked around, a slight glimmer of hope shining within his brown orbs. But he, too, saw nothing.

"Maybe I was only meant to hear him, Ed," I put in.

"Yes, maybe. At any rate, you should lie back down and get some rest," Edmund pointed out.

"Yes, I am utterly exhausted," I said. It wasn't an understatement, either. He helped me lower myself back to the ground and he lay down beside me.

"G'night, Pete," he whispered.

"Night," I replied. And once again I gave myself over to the peaceful darkness that had been eagerly awaiting me.

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**A/N: **Did you guys like it??? I hope you did! :D Please review and let me know what you think!!!


	12. Journeys and Destinations

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Okay, first of all I have to apologize for this chapter getting out a week late. I just got really busy with school and Thanksgiving and stuff. (Happy late Thanksgiving, by the way! :P) So yes, I'm sorry and I'll try not to be this late again. On a happier note, I'm back with more story! *laughs sheepishly* Thank you kutlessgurl90 for your review! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. :) All right, well, I won't make you wait any longer. Here is chapter 12!

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**Chapter 12: **Journeys and Destinations

"Peter… Peter wake up!" I heard Lucy say. Her hand was resting on my shoulder, gently patting it every now and then. Was it morning already? By Jove, it seemed as if I had only fallen asleep a few minutes ago! I groaned, opening my eyes. Sure enough, the sun was shining and Lucy was smiling down at me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Susan said, a hint of humor in her tone. _Sleepyhead? How long had they been awake? _I must've looked a bit confused for Edmund put in,

"We've been up for nearly an hour but we wanted you to rest a while longer. You were sound asleep, too. We made plenty of noise and it didn't seem to bother you at all." I wished they would have gotten me up; we could have started towards home by now. I looked to the sky. By the position of the sun it appeared to be around seven o'clock, give or take a few minutes.

"Well, thank you for letting me rest, but let's get moving," I declared. I slowly and carefully sat up; Edmund keeping a hand on my back to brace me. My ribs ached tremendously and my whole body was sore from lying on the ground all night.

"Susan, go fetch him a few berries from our stash," Edmund commanded. Su nodded and got up.

"Those two went out hunting for something to eat while Telula and I stayed back here with you," Lucy explained, looking at me. I sighed softly.

"You two shouldn't have gone out there alone. Something could have happened to you. You should have gotten me up," I declared. Susan returned and placed a few berries in my hands.

"Oh bother, Peter, stop worrying! Edmund and I are quite all right," she said. Her tone was lighthearted, though, not scolding as it would usually be.

"Sorry, Su, it's just hard not to fret after everything that has happened lately," I put in. She nodded in understanding and gave me a small smile. I picked up one of the tiny fruits and examined it thoroughly. It appeared to be a blueberry by the color and texture of it. I consumed the small fruit, thinking about how wonderful it tasted. My mind drifted off to thoughts of the blueberry pastries my siblings and I had eaten the morning we left for our official business in the Northern Marsh. It was the last real breakfast we had had at the Cair since our unintentional adventure. I so looked forward to having one for breakfast tomorrow at the castle. I hurried and finished the berries- there wasn't much to eat- and then looked at my siblings.

"Well, Peter, do you feel decent enough to travel?" Lucy questioned. I was sore and my ribs were searing but I could travel. My mind was set on getting home and that is what would keep me going throughout the day.

"Yes, I should be fine," I assured.

"All right, Lu and I will bring over the horses and then we should be set!" Susan exclaimed. She and Lucy got up and headed towards the horses while Telula was gathering up the rest of the berries.

"I can't believe we'll be home today; it just doesn't seem possible! We've only been gone for a few days but it feels like it's been years, or at least months," Edmund pointed out. I nodded in agreement. Ed then changed the atmosphere of our conversation.

"Peter, did Aslan say anything else to you last night?" he wondered.

"No, Edmund, he didn't," I replied. His face looked distraught.

"What is it, Ed?" I asked.

"Nothing, I was just hoping that maybe he would have given you some guidance on how to handle our predicament between Calormen and Telmar," he confessed. I pondered on that for a moment.

"Maybe he wants us to figure that out for ourselves," I concluded. Ed looked content with my answer but his eyes were still cast with a hint of uncertainty.

"Yes, maybe," was all he said. Then the girls showed up with the horses. Lucy had already mounted Midnight and her eyes had a distinct sparkle to them; she was thinking of home. I grinned. In that moment I felt as if everything would turn out all right. Lucy's spirit was inspiring; I could tell it was a gift from Aslan as it washed over me as well. I was ready to move. I put an arm over Edmund's shoulder. He understood what I was trying to do and cooperated. I leaned into him and he raised me. I hissed quietly and placed most of my weight into him. Susan led Bill over to where we were standing. As Ed tried to help me onto my horse I realized just how weak I really was.

I swung my leg over Bill's body and I felt the strain on my side. I bit my lip to hide my uneasiness and was surprised when it didn't draw blood. I rolled my shoulders back in an attempt to relieve the stiffness in them and felt an unpleasant pull on my side. I let out a quiet wince and rubbed the injury warily.

"You're sure you can travel?" Susan asked, a look of concern vivid in her eyes. I nodded and held onto Bill's reigns.

"All right, well let's do get a move on," Edmund declared. My siblings were all on their means of transportation, along with Telula holding onto Susan. I wondered briefly if there was something on her mind; she had been exceptionally quiet this morning. Edmund placed himself in front of us and began heading in a Northern direction. The rest of us followed, of course, and we were on our way home.

***

It had been nearly four hours since any of us had had anything to eat, or let alone taken a break. We were getting so close to home, but I needed some sort of energy in order to make it the rest of the way. I felt myself beginning to grow more tired as the minutes dragged on. My head was ever so slowly drooping towards my chest, making my eyes feel too susceptible to closing.

"Urm, Ed, could we possibly take a short break? I could imagine we all need something to eat," I pointed out. Edmund nodded and brought Phillip to a halt. Lucy slid off of Midnight and reached into her pouch; she had stored the extra berries in it. She evenly distributed the remains, leaving each of us with four. She and Susan shared their canteens with all of us, except Telula, who had her own. The others all dismounted their horses to stretch out, but I decided to stay on Bill. It would just cause a problem for me to get back up, anyways.

I finished eating the berries and then Lucy passed me her canteen. I took a long, refreshing drink and then poured a little water in my hand. I splashed it up on my face, trying to wake myself up. I let the cool liquid spread across my skin. Lucy patted my leg.

"Doing okay?" she wondered. I nodded. I hoped I could stay up for the next four hours, though. It would be absolutely terrible if my body allowed itself to embrace the exhaustion so close to home. We were at a standstill for another ten to fifteen minutes, I'd say, and then they all climbed back on their horses. Edmund took back his position in the front and we started off once again. I was feeling more energized for the time being, but I knew that it wouldn't last long. Aslan had given me the strength to make it through the past few days, but I had a feeling in the back of my mind that my body wouldn't be able to hold on too much longer.

The time was moving by exceptionally slowly. How long had it been since we had rested? One hour? Three hours? I felt my head beginning to drop towards my chest again. Then Bill began to slow down as he trotted up a steep incline, causing me to jerk my head up to see where we were going. We were making our way up a hill, and from the position I was in, I couldn't see what lay on the other side. I held on tightly to my horse so I wouldn't fall off as we neared the top of the slope. Then my breath hitched in my throat.

There it was. Standing beautiful and immaculate was Cair Paravel, our home, our sanctuary. Lucy let out a squeal of excitement while Susan sighed in relief. Edmund smiled in contentment and looked at me. I grinned wearily, the drowsiness beginning to take charge of my body's weakness. We were home and my siblings were unharmed -for the most part- and that was all that mattered. As we trudged down the hill, I noticed around one hundred Narnians standing in front of the Cair's entrance.

_They must have just sent out a search party,_ I thought. Oh well, they'll be back soon enough. We were now about two hundred yards away from the doors. I would hold on as long as I possibly could, but I wasn't quite sure how long that would be. Lucy already had Midnight galloping in a full sprint towards our castle, and it didn't take but a moment for the other horses to follow suit. My ribs didn't take kindly to being jostled around at this point, nor did the rest of my body. But there was nothing I could do to stop it; when Bill was in a sprint, he wouldn't halt until he had reached his destination.

The spectators roaming about the castle grounds began to notice our arrival. They were talking amongst themselves and some were rushing towards us with relief spread across their features. The horses stopped nearly ten feet away from our fellow Narnians and they were running wildly to meet us. Screams of, "Queen Susan!" "King Edmund!" "Queen Lucy!" and "King Peter!" was all I could hear. The sounds amplified in my ears, making my head throb fiercely. I wanted to tell everyone to stop but I couldn't seem to find my voice. I clumsily slid off of Bill, not expecting the sudden surge of pain as my feet hit the ground. My teeth clenched involuntarily. I held onto Bill for what seemed to be dear life. It was then that everyone began to notice how bad I really was.

"High King Peter, are you all right? King Peter? Peter?" was all I heard. At first their voices appeared to be louder than before, but then they faded into muffled whispers and I could barely understand what they were saying. The faces in front of me started to dissolve into tiny spurts of color that I knew would eventually blend together to form the color that I dreaded the most - black. There was no way to avoid what was coming as I felt myself beginning to sink backwards. I was surprised when I didn't instantly hit the ground. Instead a pair of arms caught me under my shoulders to break my fall. Though his face was blurry I could see Edmund staring down at me, a look I couldn't comprehend set in his eyes.

"Rest, Peter," he said quietly. And with that, I allowed myself to pass out from the exhaustion, with everyone in front of Cair Paravel watching.

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**A/N: **They're finally home! Whoo hoo! :P But this story is far from being over....... :D Please review!


	13. Relief and Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hey everyone!!! How are you guys? Christmas is approaching! :) That's always good! Thanks again kutlessgurl90 for reviewing, and thanks to everyone who has stayed with this story! Okay, well I guess I'll stop rambling on... here's chapter 13!

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**Chapter 1****3:** Relief and Comfort

The next thought that registered in my mind was that my eyes were open. They were open, but all I saw was darkness. I felt the panic beginning to rise in my body as my eyes scanned my surroundings for any sign of light. After a moment I noticed a slight glow coming from the direction opposite of me. Where was I, anyways? My body was supported by a soft material, and my head was on a higher surface than the rest of me. There was no other sound in this place except my breathing… and someone else's. No, it was more than one person's; there was one steady rhythm but it kept cutting off at separate times, signifying the different breathing patterns.

My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness as I searched around to see who was there. Lying on the ground was Susan, her head resting on her arm for support while her legs curled up towards her side. Edmund was beside her, resting in a chair that looked quite familiar. I noticed that there was a small hand interlocked with mine. It belonged to Lucy, who was on my right side. Half of her body was on the floor while the other half was on my bed. _**My bed**__. _I was in my room at Cair Paravel, and the glow opposite of me was moonlight entering through my window. I was beginning to think coherently once again, which meant I'd be feeling the pain right about… now.

I clenched my teeth tightly. It felt as if someone had tampered with my ribs while I was unconscious. I ran my hand cautiously up my side, feeling regular bandages rather than the makeshift ones my sisters had provided me with. They felt much tighter than the others, almost uncomfortably tight. I tried to adjust myself into a more pleasing position, but I only felt pain when I attempted to move. I allowed a quiet groan escape from my lips. I heard a rustling sound to my left.

"Peter?" Susan asked tiredly. I looked down at her. She was propped up on one elbow and her eyes were squinting so she could see my face properly. Su was the lightest sleeper out of the four of us, so it didn't surprise me when it was she that had awoken.

"Hmm?" I wondered. I was still tired and wasn't completely back to my senses yet.

"Oh Peter, you're awake!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. I was sure she didn't want to awaken the others. I nodded. "How're you feeling?"

I suppressed a sigh.

"Tired, disoriented, weaker than I should be…" I could have listed off some other things but I decided to leave it at that. My voice sounded unusually quiet and strained, and it wasn't from trying not to wake my youngest siblings, either. Her eyes softened and she gave me a gentle smile. She quietly stood up and walked to my bedside, sitting beside me.

"Well, I'm glad you're awake; you've been out for quite a while," Su pointed out. That reminded me… I had to ask the burning question.

"How long have I been unconscious?" I wondered. Susan stared at me for a bit before answering, probably contemplating on whether she should tell me the truth or not.

"To be frank, Peter, you passed out in the afternoon, and now it's the middle of the night. It's been a while," she answered. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. My arm felt sore and heavy, but my sleeve felt light and soft. I looked at it, noticing that it was a different tunic than I had been previously wearing.

"Who changed my tunic? And my bandages, on that note," I questioned.

"Edmund did. The healers insisted on doing something, but Edmund was reluctant to listen. He grew very protective of you, Peter. I've never seen him act so persistently about anything before. He would not let anyone touch you besides us, of course, not even Oreius. He didn't let Lucy give you the cordial, either. He wanted you to be at peace for as long as possible, and he thought the cordial would force you awake too quickly. He hasn't left your side once; actually, none of us have. I'm sure he'll scold himself for nodding off," Susan explained. I looked over at the sleeping form of my only brother. I loved and appreciated him so much; I could not have asked for a better brother, or friend, for that matter. I owed Edmund quite a large thank you when he got up. I would've given anything to see Oreius's face, though. I let a grin pull at my lips as I pictured it in my head. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind.

"Have any of you eaten yet?" I asked. Susan nodded.

"Yes, Tierrina brought us some tea, and, well, just about anything else you could imagine," Susan replied, smiling. Tierrina, a dwarf slightly resembling Telula, was the royal cook at Cair Paravel, and her food was always marvelous. And she always cooked so much of it! It was a wonder I didn't gain five pounds each time I consumed one of her meals.

"Good, am I right on assuming Ed had seconds?" I questioned. Susan chuckled.

"Yes, of course, and you know how he likes his tea!"

I nodded and smiled.

"Oh, Peter, are you hungry?" she wondered. Well, I did want something to eat, but I could wait until morning; I was too tired to do anything.

"No, I'm fine."

"All right. I'm sure there will be a superb breakfast waiting for us all tomorrow morning," she pointed out.

"I would not doubt it; she always does such an excellent job," I put in. We sat in silence for a moment or two; I was too exhausted to start a conversation myself. Then Susan wondered,

"Are you comfortable enough? We did everything we could but we didn't want to move you around too much. I'm sure you're delighted to be back in your own bed." I grinned. It definitely wasn't an unpleasant thing.

"Yes, Su, I'm comfortable enough. And even if I wasn't, I can't exactly move very well anyways. Edmund wrapped my ribs very tightly," I replied. Susan gave me a half smile and patted my hand.

"I'm so sorry, Peter. Can I get you anything?" I shook my head.

"No, the three of you have already done more than enough for me. You should all be in your own rooms, and beds, for that matter, instead of being here watching over me. I'm sure Lucy isn't at all comfortable what with half of her body being on the floor and the other on my bed. She'll probably wake up with a sore back from this. And Edmund is curled up in that chair… there's no way he has enough room to stretch out or anything! As for you, that floor is too hard for anyone to get a good night's rest on," I explained. Susan was shaking her head and sighing.

"You honestly don't understand, do you? There is absolutely no reason for you to be complaining because you would do the same thing for any of us. In fact, you already have! When Lucy had that dreadful cold last year, you stayed with her every waking moment of the day until you hadn't heard her sneeze once in a three hour time period! And when Edmund came back injured from that campaign in Galma, you took it upon yourself to be his personal slave for an entire week! As for me, you saved my life in that battle with the Ettinsmoor giants two years ago and wouldn't leave my side until I quit shaking. You see, Peter, all of us are just returning the favor. You manage to take care of us and run a country at the same time. You always place everything on yourself, so it's our turn to do something in return," she stated. I laid there staring at her for a bit, not quite sure what to say.

"Thank you, Susan. I appreciate everything the three of you have done for me these past few days. I love you all so much, but it takes some getting used to having you all look out for me instead of the other way around. It just makes me feel vulnerable, like I can't properly protect the three of you from any danger. I know you think that I put too much pressure on myself, but it's my duty to keep you safe." Susan looked at me for a long time.

"Peter, thank you for everything you do. I know we've never really been that close but still, thank you. I love you, just don't worry so much," She gently nudged my shoulder. I smiled.

"You're welcome, Su, and I love you, too." I took in the deepest breath I could manage, which wasn't very deep. I tightly closed my eyes. I felt Susan stroke my hair.

"I'm sorry it hurts so much. Edmund thinks there's at least three of your ribs that are broken, and then two that are cracked. He got a better chance to observe your injury while he wrapped them again. He was hoping it wasn't too tight, but apparently it is. Do you want me to loosen them?"

"No, I'm all right," I assured. I yawned but then winced as it pulled on my side.

"Everything hurts you, doesn't it?" Her tone was a serious as she could make it and she looked concerned.

"Just about, Su. But I'm used to it now, and it doesn't seem so surprising anymore. Sometimes it still catches me a little off guard, though. But I work through the pain. I have to." She gave me one of her stern looks.

"You don't _have _to, you just _choose_ too because you don't want us to see how bad off you really are." She pursed her lips and gave me a disapproving look.

"You could put it that way, I guess. I just say it's personal preference," I put in, my lips curving into a slight smile. She just sighed and patted my arm affectionately.

"Get some rest, my stubborn, over-protective brother," she suggested.

"Likewise, my gentle, yet tenacious sister," I shot back lightheartedly. She smirked at me but leaned down and kissed my forehead anyways.

"Good night, Peter."

"Night, Susan." She let go of my hand and lay back down on the floor. I was back to sleep within minutes.

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**A/N: **So what do you think? Did I do okay with the Susan/Peter sibling bonding? I hope I stayed true to their characters. Okay, well please review! :)


	14. Back to the Real World

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hello, all! First off I have to say Merry Christmas! This is my favorite time of the year and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! :) Secondly, I must apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. Finals were earlier this week and I spent a lot of time studying for them. But they're over now, so that means I will have more time to write! :) kutlessgurl90, thank you for your review! I'm glad that the last chapter touched you; that is something I strive to do as an author so thank you for your feedback! Okay, well here is chapter 14!!!

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**Chapter 14:** Back to the Real World

Something was brightly shining in my eyes, making my eyelids feel heavy and overworked. I groaned unexpectedly.

"Peter!" I heard Lucy scream. I opened my eyes just in time to see her hop out of her chair, jump on my bed, and wrap her arms around my shoulders.

"G'morning, Lu," I said slightly chuckling, a smile forming on my lips. I patted her back, careful not to move too much. She pulled away from me, her face content and grinning.

"It is a good morning, isn't? Actually, it's just wonderful! We're home, _you're_ home… oh everything is just grand! And how're you doing?" she wondered.

"Well enough, Lu. Just sore, that's all. And possibly a bit tired," I answered. I looked around the room and saw that the bright thing that had woke me up was sunlight streaming in through my window. I focused on Lucy again, who looked slightly troubled.

"Did I wake you too suddenly?" she questioned. I shook my head.

"No, I'm just still a little weak, that's all," I assured. I took a better observation of my surroundings and noticed that Susan was sitting in the chair and Edmund was standing behind her.

"Welcome back, Pete," he declared, a smile faintly tugging at his lips. I stared intently at him for a quick moment.

"Thank you for everything you did for me yesterday. Susan told me when I got up in the middle of the night. You didn't have to do any of that, Ed," I pointed out. He shrugged.

"I know, but I wanted to. You deserved some sort of help and comfort. I didn't want everyone at the castle to bother you, either. Oreius about went off his rocker when I told him he couldn't come in your room. I was half surprised he didn't break down the door. Actually, I_ am_ surprised there isn't any damage done, what with as many people who nearly trampled us to catch a glimpse of you," Ed put in. A sudden thought ran across my mind.

"I'm hoping you told them that I was all right. You did tell everyone, right? I guess I did cause quite a scene yesterday," I said. Susan chuckled.

"Yes, Peter, you did. Everyone was a bit shocked, but Edmund told everybody you'd be just fine after you rested for a while. He handled the situation very calmly and quite well, I might add," Su explained. I smiled.

"Thank you, Edmund. My deepest thanks are to all of you. I love the three of you so much," I declared. Lucy grinned and threw her arms around me once again.

"We love you too, Peter!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip. Susan got up and placed a hand on my shoulder while Edmund patted my back. Everything felt right again; normal, even. If I hadn't experienced everything I had in the past few days I would've never known anything went wrong. I enjoyed the solitary time I could spend with my siblings without having to worry about official business quite yet. Then Lucy pulled away and made herself comfortable beside me.

"So, how did you sleep last night?" Ed questioned. I shrugged.

"Well enough, I guess. I couldn't get too comfortable, but then again I was mostly out of it the whole time. I only awoke once, and Susan told you about that. I'm not going to complain about my sleeping, though, because at least we're home and you're all safe. That's all that matters now," I answered. Lucy patted my leg affectionately.

"Hey, you're safe too! That should matter! Stop thinking about us for once," Lucy said, poking my chest playfully.

"Yes, I've already been warned by Susan not to fret, believe me," I stated. I threw a glance towards my sister, whose cheeks were flushed with slight embarrassment. Edmund deliberately clapped his hands to change the subject.

"So, is anyone up for breakfast? I hear Tierrina is taking special requests," he put in.

"Actually, that sounds rather delightful as a matter of fact. A blueberry pastry sounds near heavenly at the moment," I declared. Lucy looked rather excited.

"Oh yes, and with a side of delicious toast smothered in her first class special jam!" she exclaimed. I chuckled lightly.

"Well, I believe you know what we would like, how about the two of you?" I asked. Susan decided on a crepe filled with the finest fruit harvested from the Western Wood and Edmund settled on sweet muffins. No one was quite sure what exactly Tierrina put in those muffins, but everyone knew they were absolutely delectable. Edmund had especially favored them; he always has had the sweet tooth in our family.

Edmund left the room –for what I was sure was the first time- to tell Tierrina what we wanted. When he returned he said she'd have it ready as soon as possible. I was starving, but I wasn't sure how much of my appetite I had gained back. I needed to sit up, too. I slowly pushed myself up. Edmund put a firm hand on my back while Susan placed a pillow behind me. I leaned slightly backwards and the cushion felt very nice on my aching muscles. I hadn't realized how tender everything was until I tried to move. I let out a short sigh and rubbed my pained side. Lucy gave me a soft smile.

"You still hurt significantly, don't you?" she wondered. I nodded slowly.

"He's going to be in pain for a while, Lu," Ed explained.

"I know, I just feel so bad because there's nothing we can do. Too bad Telula isn't some kind of magical healer or something," Lucy said. Telula… where had she gotten to?

"Where did Telula stay last night?" I asked.

"She was shown to one of our guest rooms by Mr. Tumnus," Susan replied. I nodded. We had many guest rooms at the Cair; mostly Archenlanders who came to visit us and royal delegates on official business stayed in them, though. But, on occasion, the rooms were used for people like Telula who hadn't anywhere else to go for the time being.

"Is she getting along all right? I'm sure Tumnus is taking very good care of her," I observed.

"As far as I know, yes, all is well," Su answered. My siblings and I spoke for a bit longer, and then there was a knock on the door. Lucy hopped up and opened it, revealing Tierrina carrying in four plates absolutely filled with an assortment of food.

"Oh, King Peter! What a delight to see you up and coherent this morning! It's a pleasure to see that you are recovering well," she stated.

"Thank you, Tierrina. It's nice to see you, as always. This food looks exceptionally delicious," I pointed out. Her face lit up in a smile.

"Oh, thank you," she declared, beginning to distribute our plates. Susan put a pillow on my lap and then Tierrina sat down my food. The smell alone was enough to make my mouth water. I was so hungry; my stomach was almost to the point of growling. I waited to begin eating until my family had all received their food, though. When that happened, I was sure I was the first one to consume anything. I was more than satisfied with my breakfast. Nothing could have ever tasted any better at that moment. The blueberry pastries most definitely surpassed the blueberries we had eaten on our journey home. The toast and jam was exceptional, too. And the cup of piping hot tea… Ed was the tea lover in the family, but I couldn't complain about this.

"Tierrina, this food is wonderful!" I exclaimed. The dwarf blushed.

"I serve only the best for my kings and queens," she said. She smiled and walked out of the room, letting us have some privacy. I glanced at Edmund. He had already consumed – well, more like inhaled- three sweet muffins and was refilling his tea. I grinned to myself. The four of us were done eating within ten minutes; we were so hungry! Edmund leaned back in his chair lazily.

"Well, I'm nearly stuffed! If I eat anymore, I don't believe I'll be able to get up!" he put in. Susan chuckled.

"There's a simple explanation for that, Edmund. You stuffed those muffins in practically two at a time!" she explained lightheartedly. Ed nodded and didn't deny it. I heard Lucy sigh.

"I can't believe we just ate an actual breakfast at Cair Paravel," she said.

"I know, Lu. It's wonderful, isn't it?" Susan declared. Everyone agreed.

"So when does the real world begin again? I'm surprised we haven't been called out for a trial or anything yet," I pointed out. Edmund gave me an uneasy look, almost as if he didn't want to tell me what was on his mind.

"Well, Pete, I don't know how to tell you this, but everyone has decided to take it easy on you for a while. No one wants you to do anything too quickly. All of Narnia wants you to recover as soon as possible," he explained. I leaned farther back into the pillow.

"I'm not quite following you, Ed. What aren't I allowed to do?" I questioned. I hoped I wasn't restricted from doing anything; I would go absolutely mad if I had to stay in my room all day… or longer.

"No, it's not that you can't do things, it's just that the royal council has decided to place all official business on the three of us. You can do whatever you please; they just don't want you stressed out while you are injured. It's for the best, really, Pete. If I didn't think so I would have objected," he declared. I sighed. Well, it made sense, but it was hardly fair to place all my responsibilities on my younger siblings. I could most certainly handle my royal duties while injured if I could handle everything else we went through in that state. If they didn't think our journey was stressful, then the people of Narnia were sadly mistaken.

"I don't believe that is necessary, Ed. I'm capable of doing my work; all of you experienced what I did over the past few days and you're not receiving a break. Why should I deserve special treatment while none of you do?" I reasoned. The three looked at each other with a look on their faces that I couldn't comprehend.

"Peter, it will only be for a few days. Do you not understand that we have been excessively worried about you? So many things could have happened to you that didn't, thank Aslan. We're just being precautionary. We're all still concerned, and you know you would be too if it was one of us rather than you. We almost lost you, Peter. We just want to see you recover and get back to your normal self," Lucy declared. I was silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Okay, I understand. But I will help the three of you to the best of my abilities," I stated. They all agreed, probably to avoid confrontation. Suddenly there was a knock on my door. Susan got up to answer it.

"Oh, do come in, Mr. Tumnus!" she exclaimed. The faun walked into my room with a warm smile on his face.

"Good morning, King Peter. It's quite nice to see you fairing well," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Tumnus. It's rather a delight to see you, too." I put in.

"You're quite welcome, dear friend. Now, Edmund, you are needed downstairs. Some sort of trial, I presume. Oreius wants you right away. As for you, Susan, Miss Telula is seeking your help in her room whenever is convenient to you, my Queen. Most likely finding clothes, I suppose. And my dear Lucy, you are wanted by the healers. I believe someone is in need of your cordial," Mr. Tumnus explained. Lucy kissed my forehead and quickly strode out of the room. Su patted my hand and followed. Ed gave me an uneasy look.

"Pete, if you need anything, anything at all, you know where to find me. Or if you want to watch the trial, I suppose that would be fine. All right, see you soon, brother," he declared. He waved at me with a quick flick of his wrist.

"Bye," I said. Now it was just Mr. Tumnus and I left in the room.

"I think I'm needed back outside, unless of course you want me to stay here. I will fully oblige to your needs, Peter," he put in. I shook my head.

"I'll be quite all right, Tumnus. But thank you, anyways," I pointed out. He nodded.

"Well farewell then, for now," he stated, heading out of the room. I leaned back and sighed. Mr. Tumnus had always been a faithful friend, ever since we first stepped foot in Narnia. I felt bad turning his hospitality away, but honestly I didn't feel like being looked after. I felt like doing something –anything- to get out of this room. I turned myself around so that my feet were touching the ground. I pushed myself up off the bed and into a standing position. I winced –it had been a while since I had stood fully upright on my own. Now I just had to figure out where to go. I began walking towards the door but then I realized I was barefooted. I turned back and slipped on my shoes, then walked through the doorway.

The halls weren't as busy as I had anticipated; just a few Narnians were strewn about here and there. Most of them made some form of communication with me, and for that I was grateful. The people of Narnia really did care about my well-being. I turned the corner and heard Susan's voice coming from a closed door. I would've knocked and asked if she or Telula needed any assistance, but to be honest I was practically clueless when it came to women's fashions. Instead I decided to go downstairs and see what all the fuss was about with this trial. As I reached the staircase I noticed that I had forgotten one minor detail; there were stairs. I knew there was a significant number of them at the Cair, but I had never realized just how many there were until now. I guess when you're injured it really changes one's perspective on certain things.

Brushing off the thought I began my descent down the stairwell. I held onto the railing for dear life. Every step down pulled at my aching side, causing a surge of pain that I had nearly forgotten about until now. I had to stop every five to ten steps to catch my breath. Going down the stairs probably wasn't the smartest idea I had lately, but I had to do it eventually. There was no way to avoid stairs in this castle; there were just too many of them. A couple moments later I reached the bottom and leaned into the wall to rest. Level ground I could handle, but stairs… that would take some getting used to. If I thought that was bad, I couldn't even imaging going back up them.

Shaking off the thought, I started walking towards the council room. I knew this room very well, seeing as though Ed and I were usually the ones in charge of sentencing delinquents. I walked into the place quietly –I didn't want to cause a scene- and sat in back. Edmund was standing in the front, facing me, but I don't believe he registered my presence. Oreius was standing beside the prisoner, who appeared to be a wolf.

"And what, exactly, were you doing eavesdropping on our military plan, Sir Farnin?" Edmund broke in. The wolf shifted his neck upward as if to stare at my brother.

"I was doing none of the sort, King Edmund. I was listening to the plan as a good soldier would do, my liege," the wolf explained. I saw Edmund's gaze harden.

"If that story proves to be true, Farnin, then tell me why General Oreius has never seen you in his presence before," Edmund put in, raising an eyebrow. The wolf hesitated.

"Because, my king, I have just recently decided to join our beloved Narnian army. I felt it was my duty to defend and protect our country, Sir," Farnin stated. My brother didn't look convinced.

"All right, Sir Farnin, but I do have one more question for you. You seem awful keen on joining the army this instant. Is there a reason for that? Do you know something of a war brewing on the horizon?" Ed questioned. The wolf shook his head.

"No, King Edmund. I just felt obligated to join the army," Farnin declared. Edmund's eyes stared off blankly into the distance, something he did when he was thinking hard. After a few moments he glanced back at the prisoner.

"Very well, Sir Farnin. Thank you for your account on the situation. The jury and I will now make our final decision," he said, turning to our royal officials. Nearly five minutes later, my brother turned back to face Farnin and the small audience that was assembled. Edmund cleared his throat.

"Sir Farnin, you have been charged guilty for the crime of high treason. General Oreius will make sure you carry out your punishment. Oreius," Edmund nodded to our war general, which took Farnin by the neck and led him out of the room. Farnin was muttering words in his defense as a last minute chance to prove his innocence, but Edmund stood firmly by his ruling. My brother leaned back in his chair and sighed. I most definitely admired Edmund in times like these. He had always handled political situations better than I. He was also good at following his instincts, and his instincts were usually right about these things. In this trial, from what I heard of it, anyways, there seemed to be a significant lack of evidence, though. I slowly rose to my feet and walked to my brother, who just now realized I was there.

"Hello, Pete. I figured you would come and watch," he pointed out. I shrugged.

"The only other thing I could do is rest, and I spent the day doing that yesterday," I declared. He chuckled.

"Well, that is the truth," he said.

"So, Edmund, how did you sentence Sir Farnin so quickly? Wasn't there a bit of evidence missing?" I wondered. Ed shook his head.

"No, Peter, the evidence is all there. You see, I've seen that wolf near the castle grounds just like every other normal Narnian. But, in the woods when we were fighting in the building, I saw him, too. He was standing in the far corner behind some extra weapons and talking to one of the Telmarines. He fled when I met his gaze. I was going to run after him but then you got injured, and you were a lot more important than some renegade wolf," he explained. Good thing Ed was more observant than I.

"Well, I'm quite glad you found the traitor," I declared. He just sighed and muttered,

"Yeah, I guess."

I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Something wrong, Ed?" I wondered.

"No, I'm just a bit stressed. You know how I get after these trials," he said, an awkward grin painted on his face. I smiled. It was true; Edmund did seem to get worked up quite often after these types of things.

"C'mon, Ed. Let's go do something," I suggested. He got up from his chair and the two of us walked from the room. Anyone who walked by had nice comments for the both of us. I deeply appreciated all they had to say, but I felt a bit awkward at all the attention drawn to me. I had always felt slightly insecure when attention was directed towards me, which wasn't the best quality to possess when one was a high king.

"So, what do you say? Want to go out to the courtyard? I could imagine some fresh air would do you some good," Edmund pointed out. I nodded.

"That does sound quite wonderful at the moment," I agreed. So my brother and I headed towards the large doors that were the main entrance and exit to our home. A pair of guards –two leopards- stood at the doorway and held them open for us.

"Thank you," I said. They nodded; the guards didn't talk too often. Ed and I stepped into the outside world and I realized that there were more stairs. I sighed as I looked down and saw them extend for what seemed like a mile. I felt Edmund place a hand on my shoulder.

"How did you manage to make it down to the council room, Pete? It couldn't have been an easy task to accomplish," he stated. I shrugged.

"I just had to go slow… very slow," I said. I watched as his gaze stared down the stairs just as mine previously had.

"Why don't we just sit down right here? I don't suppose it would be the brightest idea to have you walk down all those steps," Ed suggested. I nodded and carefully lowered myself. Edmund joined me, and we talked.

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A/N: Okay, so not a lot of action, but they did just get back home; I can't have things happen for them too quickly! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and by the way, reviews make lovely Christmas gifts! :P Well thanks for reading, and have a wonderful Christmas! :D


	15. Positives and Negatives

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hey everyone! Happy New Year!!! I hope 2010 is a good one! :) 2009 went by way too quickly! Oh well, time flies, I guess! Wow, I can't believe there are fifteen chapters to this story already! I hope you guys are enjoying them all! kutlessgurl90, thanks for the review! Don't worry about it being a little late, I'm late updating all the time! lol. Edmund's character has also grown on me lately; I've learned to appreciate him more and more. Okay, well, here's chapter 15!!!

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**Chapter 15:** Positives and Negatives

"The view is quite breathtaking, don't you think?" I wondered aloud. It truly was. To our right was the edge of the Eastern Sea, the sun's rays catching the tips of the water at just the right time to give the illusion that it was glistening. To our left was a clearing, spotted with a slight number of trees whose leaves were swaying in the light breeze. Directly in front of us was the hill we had traveled over merely twenty-four hours ago. And to top it all off, the sun was positioned a bit to the east, appearing to be a bright jewel residing in the clear blue depths of the sky.

"Yes, it is," Edmund agreed, his eyes scanning the area. Everything seemed so different since our "little" adventure now that we were home. I wanted to savor every moment because I knew how precious each one was after everything I had experienced. Edmund understood how I felt, too. Under normal circumstances if I would have said something about the view, he would have said I was going soft on him and nudged me in the side. But now… well I think he got it. I sighed. I had been waiting for the right time to tell him what was on my mind, and I figured that now would work the best.

"Ed, do you remember when I had that dream a couple days ago after I passed out, and I didn't tell you the contents of it?" I wondered.

"Yeah, Pete, how could I forget? Susan just about had a fit after you wouldn't tell her," He looked over at me, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"Okay, I was just making sure. There's a reason I didn't tell her and Lu, and I think you'll see why after I tell you what occurred during it. I think it's time you knew. Don't mention it to the girls, though; I don't wish to frighten them. All right, to begin with, I was running and the three of you were behind me. An army of Calormenes and Telmarines were chasing us and… and… well to state it simply they killed all of you." It was still hard to speak of it, even if it was only some unwanted product of my subconsciousness. Ed put a comforting hand on my shoulder, much like I would do when he would tell me about one of his not-so-appealing dreams.

"Anyways, I tried to kill them, believe me, I tried. But none of them would die. Eventually one of them stabbed me, and I was done for. I sank down and closed my eyes, but when I opened them everything was gone; it was just me and the ground. Then that itself disappeared and was replaced with water and I began to drown. I kept my head above for nearly a minute, and then a voice came out of nowhere and spoke to me. The voice, of course, belonged to Aslan. He told me not to be afraid and that he would always be with me. He also told me to never lose my faith. I… I'm not quite sure what he meant, though. I don't know if it was a warning, a sign, or… or… what, really. I just know that he meant it, whatever "it" may be. I thought that possibly you could help me figure this out because to be frank, I'm lost. Anyways, after Aslan spoke to me, I drowned. And that was it. Do you have any idea what this could mean?" I questioned.

Edmund stared off into the distance for a while, appearing to be deep in thought. After a bit he finally said,

"That's a good question, Pete. The message seems reassuring enough, but as to why he told you I'm not sure. To tell you the truth, though, I've had a feeling that whatever it is we're going through isn't over. It's one of those overwhelming feelings that I can't seem to fight off no matter how hard I try. It may not be at the front of my mind, but it's definitely there, like a shadow that won't fade away. That's the best way I can explain it. But it's been looming over me ever since the night Aslan spoke to you and we couldn't find him. And I think my feeling could tie into your dream. We're just going to have to trust that Aslan knows what he's talking about," he replied.

I stared at my brother for a long moment before answering. I never realized just how deep his faith had become. I couldn't help but let a smile cross my face.

"Thanks, Edmund." He nodded.

"I'm glad to assist."

We sat there in silence for a while longer, and then something was running towards us. It was a tiger, our messenger, Abran, to be exact. After a moment he had reached our location.

"King Peter, King Edmund," –he bowed- "I'm afraid I come bearing unpleasant news," he started. The look on his face turned from worn out from his run into complete seriousness within a mere two seconds.

"What is it, good Tiger?" I asked, leaning in to hear what he had to say.

"I must begin by saying that I was out on my usual stroll when I was approached by a man. He appeared to be a Telmarine by his features and accent. Anyways, he told me he had a message to send to the Narnian monarchs. And I quote," He closed his eyes, trying to remember what the man had to say. Abran had been known for his excellent skills at remembering things; consequently, he was our messenger.

"'The newfound alliance between Calormen and Telmar would like to inform the people of Narnia of a proposition. It has come to our upmost attention that Narnia is a nice lot of land and we wish to gain control of it. You may cooperate with us and hand us the rights to your country, or we will take Narnia by force. We have an army fully equipped and ready that will not cower down to you and your almighty lion. If you accept our first offer, you will be given a small plot of land to continue sustaining life. If you do not accept, then we will overrun your country and all survivors will be either killed or made slaves. You have twenty-four hours to decide your fate.'"

Abran took a breath and looked up at us. I glanced over at him, my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. _No, this can't be happening!_ I thought to myself, shaking my head. I stayed silent; I couldn't think well enough at the moment to form a coherent sentence. Edmund took care of that for me, though.

"Oh, hang it all! Can't we have one minute of peace in this country anymore?!?" He placed his head between his knees and let out a deep breath. Abran stared at me uneasily, waiting on an order. I sighed.

"Abran, go inform Oreius. It looks like we have a war to fight." I said, though every fiber of my being wished I hadn't. Abran nodded and left. Ed looked up.

"Aslan's mane, Peter! What are we to do? There's no way we'll just hand over Narnia, but honestly, do we have to go to war? Haven't we been through enough lately? And we can't just go killing off innocent Narnians! Their lives will be lost for nothing if we lose! They already have an army prepared, Peter. _An army!_ And we only have twenty-four hours!" he exclaimed. He was nearly screaming by the end of his rant. He put his head between his knees again.

"Edmund, calm down," I demanded. But to be truthful, I was just as worked up as he was. I just didn't let it show. His head shot back up, the look on his face unfathomable.

"Calm down? _Calm down? _How am I supposed to be calm?! We'll be at war by this time tomorrow!" he declared, slamming his fist on the stone ground. He shook his head as if he didn't believe what he was saying. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Edmund, we have Aslan on our side, remember? Surely he won't let us fail. We lead this country under his direction; he won't let us lose what we work so hard to keep going for him. We have Oreius as well; don't forget about him. And our army… even unprepared they will be ready to fight as soon as one of us snaps our fingers! We should be thankful we at least have twenty-four hours to get ourselves organized. And we need to use each hour wisely," I pointed out, beginning to stand. Ed helped me to my feet and we walked back into Cair Paravel.

"Well, there is _one_ positive thing we found out in the past few minutes," Edmund began. I gave him an awkward glance. How could any of that have been considered pleasant?

"And what's that?"

"We figured out what Aslan meant in your dream."

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**A/N: **Okay, so what do you think? Is it believable? Do you like the idea? Well, please review and let me know!!! :)


	16. Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Hey everybody! :D I must apologize for being so late on getting this chapter out... we had to get our computer worked on and I've been busy with extracurricular activities. But it's here now... so I hope you enjoy it!!!

NarniaQueen and QueenofFantasy- Thank you for the review! I'm glad you like this story! I try to bring out all of Peter's feelings and I try to make the relationship between the Pevensie siblings as strong as it can be!

kutlessgurl90- Aslan does always seem to know what he's doing, doesn't he?? :) I, too, agree that the work of an older sibling is never done, and I try to show that through Peter's character. I want him to be the best brother he can be, but also have flaws of his own.

Okay, well here is chapter 16!

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**Chapter 16:** Preparations

"We need a plan… a strategy… something that will prove to be useful in this battle," I pointed out. Word had spread throughout Cair Paravel of Abran's encounter with the Telmarine and an emergency meeting had been called upon for anyone who could attend. My sisters, brother, and I sat in front of the council room and were trying to hold an orderly conversation, which was proving to be difficult seeing as though nearly everyone was surprised by the news.

"Any suggestions?" Susan questioned. The crowd fell silent and stayed that was for close to a minute. My siblings and I exchanged nervous glances. We were trying to get the input of the Narnians before we decided to do anything too outlandish; after all, it was their fate we were contemplating upon. Usually Oreius was here and would have a plan already thought out, but instead he was off recruiting more soldiers. After what seemed like forever, a fox finally spoke up.

"Your Majesties, I do believe it would be wise to have a spy, an inside man, if you will. I'm willing to do it, if I must," he explained. I thought it over for a moment. The idea did seem as if it could work out rather well, if we were to execute it correctly. My siblings looked at me and nodded, that meaning they agreed with the idea and wished for me to speak of our decision.

"Very well, the idea sounds reasonable. Do we have any volunteers besides this noble fox?" I wondered. Everyone in the room glanced around at each other. After a few uncomfortable moments of silence, a small voice piped in.

"I'll do it." The voice was familiar and my eyes wandered around the room to find its owner. Telula stood from her seat and continued speaking.

"It must be me to do this. If the enemy is expecting a spy, they'll expect a Narnian, and that I am not. I will do my best to not be seen, but if I am then I will think of a believable story; my mind is a keen one. Besides, I don't look like a Narnian dwarf, either. I won't let you down," she assured.

"Thank you, Telula. Now, if you would, please give my siblings and I a moment to discuss," I said. The four of us turned to face each other. We spoke in hushed tones.

"Well, what do you think?" Susan questioned.

"I, for one, think it's a brilliant idea. It's basically fool-proof," Ed declared. Lucy nodded.

"I have to agree with Edmund. The idea is simply wonderful and I believe dear Telula will be very true to her word," she put in. Su looked at me.

"I think this is our best option; we have to go with it. We don't have time to contemplate anything else," Susan reasoned. I nodded.

"Very well, then. It's anonymous," I turned back to face the crowd. The sound of their whispers instantly disappeared as if they were taken away with the breeze coming in through the open window.

"Our decision is anonymous. Telula, we thank you for your willingness. You will set out within the hour," I explained. Telula smiled sheepishly. I felt awkward putting her life in danger after she had saved my own, but I knew Aslan would watch over her. Edmund then spoke up.

"Thank you all for your promptness and cooperation during this meeting. We appreciate your time and effort. You all may leave, with the exception of Telula, and if you would like, I'm sure Oreius would appreciate some volunteers to help out. This meeting is adjourned," he said. The Narnians began to file out of the room while Telula made her way up to us.

"Telula, thank you ever so much for volunteering. How can we ever repay you?" Susan questioned. The dwarf shook her head frantically.

"Oh, no! I don't expect anything in return. It was my choice to do this; I want to do this. I don't want to be rewarded," she said, almost sounding offended.

"Okay, well, thank you anyways, Telula," Lucy put in, a smile on her face.

"You're very welcome. Now what am I to do, and how am I to do it?" Telula questioned, looking at each of us.

"Well, the task is simple, as long as you don't get caught, that is. You'll have to go out into the woods, find the hidden army, and listen to what they have to say. Make sure you remember anything that could prove useful to know. That is the key to success in this little mission. You'll set out as soon as you're ready and then report back when you feel you have gained enough information. We'll give you a dagger or some sort of weapon just in case any trouble is to arise; you won't be sent out there alone and defenseless. One of us would go along with you, but we feel it would be too risky if we are seen. At least you could create a somewhat believable story. One of us, on the other hand, would be killed on the spot and wouldn't be able to report back to help the army. We are sincerely sorry that you won't be assisted," I explained. Telula nodded.

"No… no, don't apologize. I completely understand. I wouldn't want any of you to risk your lives. You'll already be doing enough of that in the battle you will be facing, so there's no need to place you in any unnecessary danger. Anyways, I think I'm ready to go now. The earlier I leave, the more information I will gain," she reasoned.

"Very well. Come with me and I'll get you what you need for this task," Edmund said, standing up and walking to the dwarf. He began to lead her out the door, but Susan stopped the progress.

"Wait, Telula," Susan said. She turned back and faced us once again. "Be careful, and may Aslan be with you along the way," Su stated. Telula smiled softly and then followed Edmund the rest of the way out the door. I heard Lucy sigh quietly.

"So now what?" she questioned. I turned my attention over to my youngest sister.

"Well now, Lu, we wait," I declared. Edmund returned nearly fifteen minutes later, and we waited. And waited… and waited. It had been nearly three hours since Telula had left and we were all getting apprehensive. The four of us were up in Ed's room discussing a war plan with Oreius, which wasn't getting as far as we had wished. We were trying to think up the best strategy, given the time we had, and trying to figure out how to execute it with the least amount of Narnian lives lost as possible.

"Should we go look for Telula?" Ed questioned, uneasiness in his tone. I thought it over for a minute.

"Give her a little more time. If she's not back in half an hour, then we'll figure something out," I answered. He nodded. There was no need to fret, though, because not even ten minutes later Telula ran through the door. It's a wonder it didn't break off at the rate she was going. When she reached us she bent over, out of breath.

"They… they're… they're not…" Telula tried to say while catching her breath. I held out a hand and cut her off.

"Breathe, Telula," I insisted. She nodded and paused for a moment. After a few seconds, she began to speak.

"They're not going to keep their word. They plan to attack just before sunrise, not tomorrow afternoon. They plan on raiding Cair Paravel while everyone is still preparing for the battle later on that day. They want to kill the outside guards first for easier access into the castle. After they do that, they've decided to… well… they plan on somehow taking the younger three siblings hostage and killing them in front of Peter. They know you'd do anything for your family, Peter, and I'm afraid they're trying to use that to their advantage. Once the, well, you know, is done and over with, they think Peter will be so emotionally damaged that he will do anything to comply with their needs. Then they'll take him and hold him ransom, the cost being Narnia. They know the Narnians would rather give up their land than to see their High King, or any of the monarchs, be harmed. I… I'm so sorry, but I know this can be prevented," Telula explained, a frown on her face.

I felt Oreius's strong hand pat my back. Lucy's eyes were glassy, Susan was running her fingers nervously through her hair, and Edmund was staring blankly into the distance. I, on the other hand, seemed to be momentarily numb. I heard my heart beating rapidly, but I couldn't feel it pound against my chest. This couldn't be happening. No, this wasn't real. Aslan will not let this occur; I know he won't.

"It can be prevented, and it WILL be prevented. That's a promise, Your Majesties. We'll just have to attack before they expect us to. Even if that means we attack in the dark, which is a risk in itself," Oreius declared.

"It's a risk we're going to take. No one, absolutely NO ONE, will harm ANY of my siblings EVER again. That is a fact." I fumed. My voice had accelerated nearly three times as loud as normal by the end of my rant. All I could think of was my dream. I had finally started to block out all the pain of it, but now it came back as vivid and agonizing as ever. Their gruesome deaths filled my mind, one after another after another. I closed my eyes tightly and exhaled deeply.

"Are you in pain, King Peter?" Oreius wondered, sounding concerned.

"You could say that," I stated. It wasn't physical, as Oreius had meant, but it was definitely there. I felt the stares of all my siblings pierce into my skin.

"No, Peter. Don't even_ think_ about what I know you're thinking about," Edmund said sternly. I looked up at him. By the look on his face I knew this issue was nothing to debate upon.

"Okay, Edmund," I promised, beginning to think about what needed to be done in the present rather than remembering an unpleasant part of the past. He nodded. My sisters shared a confused glance with each other, seeing as though they didn't know about my dream. I just shook it off.

"Well, this changes things," I declared, running my fingers through my hair.

"Yes, it most certainly does," Susan agreed. I sighed.

"Thank you so much for your efforts, Telula, but I think you should go back to your home. We don't want you caught up in a war that's not even yours to fight. It's too risky," I declared. None of our soldiers deserved to die, but especially not ones who weren't even from the country they were fighting for. Though I wish it wasn't the truth, it was next to impossible to win a war with no bloodshed. Telula looked up at me.

"I would much rather stay here and help. I don't have to fight; I'll find something else to do. I could help the wounded, or be an archer. I hear it's much safer being an archer while in combat. I only want to do what I can. I'm beginning to feel an attachment to this country of Narnia. Please let me help," she pleaded. I contemplated on that for a moment. We would need more assistance with looking after the injured; the dryads were our main caregivers and always performed to the best of their abilities, but a helping hand never hurt anyone.

"Okay, Telula. You may stay and tend to the wounded. Thank you for being so willing," I put in. She nodded.

"May I leave now and familiarize myself with the castle's infirmary?" she asked.

"Yes. Lucy, please show her the way," Susan said. Lucy immediately hopped up and stood by the dwarf. They started to leave the room when Edmund suddenly interrupted their departure.

"Hang on, Lu. Make sure you get someone to go with you; I don't want the two of you roaming around Cair Paravel with Aslan knows what going on near the castle grounds. We're not taking any chances," he explained.

"I understand. I'll get Mr. Tumnus or Saydin to go with us. We'll be safe, I promise," Lucy assured, the smile that I loved so much touching her face. Saydin was a lioness who was one of Lucy's many close friends since entering Narnia. She was very trustworthy and had already proved that on more than one occasion.

"Okay. Meet us back here as soon as you're done," I declared. She nodded and they both left Edmund's room. I sighed.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Susan asked.

"Now we need a plan. I need to tell my troops what we've just found out so they are prepared for the significant time change. What do I need to report, Your Majesties?" Oreius wondered. The three of us shared glances with each other.

"For right now, tell them they have to be ready to fight as soon as the Moon is in the Western portion of the sky; no exceptions. Edmund, Susan, and I will figure out a method of attack and report to you as soon as possible. We will call you in when we have what you need," I explained. Oreius nodded.

"Thank you, King Peter. But you do realize that I'm not leaving the three of you in here alone, correct? I will send in Daris and he will stay here until I return. I know you don't enjoy being looked after, but look where it got you the last time I left you unattended," Oreius put in, looking at my ribs. His tone on the last sentence was harsh, making me feel like a child who had just been scolded for doing something irrational. I sighed.

"Our many apologies, Oreius. I'm sorry we didn't allow you to accompany us on our journey, and we realize now that it was foolish to deny your protection. But don't put the blame on yourself; it was our mistake and we won't be making it again anytime soon. Our brother is fine and will recover quickly. Now please go and send in Daris," Susan declared. He nodded and exited the room. A few moments later Daris entered. He bowed and stood near the door. Daris didn't like invading our personal space, which we were grateful for.

"Now it's time to think, and we have to do it quickly and effectively," Edmund stated. Su and I nodded, and we got to work.

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**A/N:** Well, did you like this chapter? Did it all make sense? Please review! :D


	17. Surprise

Disclaimer: I don't own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Well, I cannot apologize enough for how late I am on getting this chapter out. *laughs nervously* To be completely honest with you, you could say I have been procrastinating. Also, I have been reading a lot lately, which is something I haven't been able to do in a while so I was catching up on one of my favorite hobbies. But once again, I am very sorry. I won't be this late again. But anyways, I hope you guys have stuck with me through this long delay. :)

NarniaQueen and QueenofFantasy- You are definitely right in thinking that the bond the Pevensies have is not a weakness, but a strength. (At least that's how I view it, anyways.) Aslan is also a strength for them.

Kara- Yes, the word I meant to use was unanimous. Thank you so much for pointing that out! I guess I missed that when I was editing.

kaye- Goodness, you read the whole story in one day!!! That's amazing! I'm so happy that you enjoyed it and reviewed! :D

kutlessgurl90- I would also want Peter on my side in a time like this. I would be pretty scared if an angry Peter Pevensie came at me for threatening his siblings. :P

Jennifer L. Ricke- Jenny!!! You reviewed!! That makes me so happy!! Love you too, and I'm glad you love Edmund!! :P

Allrighty... well here is chapter 17! (finally!)

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**Chapter 17: **Surprise

It was now nearly five hours later and the sun was setting; it was getting close to dark. The nerves began to settle in just about now, and as a result it was making me sweat. I hated battles. Absolutely_ despised_ them. I had never been a huge fan of violence; I thought of it as unnecessary and only for people who couldn't work out their problems by talking. But now it was I who was getting ready to lead this act of violence. I didn't like it one bit.

But back to the present, Edmund and I were down in the royal armory and I was helping him put on his armor. As I finished helping him I noticed how he flexed his arms easily and how he moved lithely; he made it appear as if he didn't have all that extra weight placed upon him. He looked almost… comfortable. I slightly envied him. Edmund had always seemed in his element when he was dressed in armor, I had just never realized how well this image had suited him until now. As soon as the silver metal was placed on his body, his face seemed to rid itself of its boyish features and was replaced with the profound determination of a grown man. It was a remarkable transformation.

Anyways, now it was my turn to get dressed. The hardest part to put on was the chest plate. Once it was on my torso Edmund pulled it tight. I gasped. The solid metal pressed against my ribs and immediately all the air left my lungs with a large whoosh.

"Can't… breathe," I stated, desperately trying to retrieve some oxygen.

"Sorry, Pete," Ed said, loosening the armor. "How's that?" It was still pressing against my ribs which made breathing –and anything, really- dreadfully uncomfortable. But it would have to do. I couldn't go out there and fight unprotected.

"It'll do," I declared. Edmund didn't look convinced but he went ahead and finished helping me anyways.

"So you're sure the plan will work," he wondered uneasily.

"Edmund, we can never be sure of anything. But we'll just have to trust that Aslan will guide us in the right direction. It's the best thing we could think of, and if it's not the correct decision, then Aslan will lead us the right way," I assured. He nodded and sighed.

Our plan wasn't exactly fool proof, but due to the limited time we had to construct it, it was the best we could think of. We were sending out our trusted crow, Hermeas, as soon as the moon was visible to spy on the awaiting army. After he came back -hopefully with a good report- then we would attack. The bears, large cats, and centaurs would be on the frontline, seeing as though they are the strongest part of the army, and then behind them would be Edmund, me, and the fauns. The mice also would be towards the front of our pack; they shouldn't be visible in the deprived light and would take the army by surprise by coming up from underneath them.

Our archers would be on our left and right flanks; some would climb the trees for better visibility and precision. We were keeping the giants towards the back. They would be the most easily spotted and that isn't the best approach to take when one wants the have a surprise attack. I prayed that this plan would work and that our soldiers were well trained enough to take anything coming at them. I shouldn't doubt Narnia, or Aslan, for that matter, but to be completely honest I was scared. I didn't feel like we were prepared enough, and my siblings and I still were recovering from our strenuous journey.

I was forced back into the present as Edmund handed Rhindon to me. I unsheathed my faithful sword and stared at it for a long moment. The familiar weight of it in my hand was almost a blade had never disappointed me. Rhindon was there for me through my first fight in Narnia, and it would be by my side in my last, whenever that may be. I flipped it over in my hand and watched as the light gleamed off the smooth surface. And then I saw my reflection.

I wasn't staring into the face of High King Peter the Magnificent; I was staring into the face of Peter Pevensie, English schoolboy. Sure, I was looking into the same blue eyes, and seeing the same physical features of my face, but right now I didn't feel like I was a king. I didn't feel the crushing weight of the armor against my skin. I didn't feel worthy enough to be holding a sword of such prestige. I didn't feel like I was leading Aslan's army. I didn't feel like I could live up to my Aslan-given title of "magnificent." But I _did_ feel like a confused young man getting ready to lead hundreds of living creatures to their deaths. And I _did_ feel like I was getting ready to let my country and people down. And feeling like the old Peter Pevensie again didn't feel comforting at all.

I closed my eyes for a quick moment and when I opened them again I saw something completely different looking at me from the metal. It was still me, with that uneasy look on my face, but then beside me were my siblings, the looks on their faces soft and understanding. But the best thing of all that I saw in that sword was a large gold figure, just to the right of Edmund. Dark eyes complemented the gold coloring, and the eyes were staring directly into mine. They were full of authority, but they looked proud and content, too. I instantly felt better, like a weight was lifted from me.

"Aslan," I whispered. I glanced away from Rhindon and looked to my right, seeing Edmund standing there, but no Aslan. To my left was Susan and Lucy, but again, no Aslan. Susan put her arm around me and squeezed my shoulders.

"We wish he was here, too, Peter," she assured. I nodded.

"I know, Su. I know," I said quietly. We all stood there for a moment, looking at each others' reflections in my sword. Then Oreius came in and I put Rhindon back in its sheath, ready to hear whatever he had to say.

"The army is ready, Your Majesties," he explained. I nodded. I figured it was getting close to time, seeing as though it was now past sunset and all. "We'll send out Hermeas on your command." I looked out the small window located in the east side of the room. The last few rays of the sun were escaping over the Eastern Sea, but other than that the sky was darkening and the stars were becoming visible.

"Go ahead and send him out. Report back as soon as he has any news," I commanded. Oreius nodded and left the room. I glanced down at Lucy. Her face was full of determination, but behind the set look in her eyes I could see the definite traces of fear and worry. It would not be detectable if you hadn't known her as well and as long as I had. I scooped her up and pulled her into a hug, holding her as close to me as I could without the armor crushing her seemingly fragile body.

"Lucy, no matter what happens tonight, I want you to be strong, okay? Aslan gave you the name 'valiant,' remember? Never forget that. I love you, Lucy; I love all of you." I sat her back down on the ground and the next thing I knew all three of my siblings were embracing me in a tight hug.

"We love you, too, Peter. And so does Aslan, and he won't let anything happen to us," Susan insisted. I nodded, picturing Aslan's refection in Rhindon from just minutes ago. Edmund stayed relatively silent for the remainder of the time we were waiting on word from Oreius, but I could tell he was just worried, so I didn't question his silence. After about twenty minutes, Oreius returned.

"Your Majesties, everything is in place. They are eating a quick meal as we speak, and then they plan to raid the castle. We'll need to head out as soon-and quietly- as possible in order for this plan to work," Oreius declared. I looked at my siblings and they gave me a single nod.

"All right, let's go." I stated firmly. Oreius led the way to our awaiting army. They were so silent I wouldn't have noticed their presence if I didn't see them for myself. Everyone was in place; the larger and stronger creatures in front and the others surrounding, with the archers on their left and right flanks. Susan gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and I hugged her as she left to take her position with the other archers. Edmund stayed planted by my side, and Lucy followed Susan. She would be the safest with the archers, and Saydin -the lioness- pledged to keep her safe from harm as she followed along. Before she could leave, though, I hugged her again and she threw her small arms around me. She told me to stay safe and I almost lost it. I squeezed her tightly and then let her go, praying that this wouldn't be the last time I see her. I didn't know where Telula was for the time being, but I'm sure she was safe and already in place with the archers.

I gained my composure and Ed and I made our way over to Bill and Phillip, who were waiting faithfully for us in position. Though Bill didn't talk, he seemed to understand all the commands he was given, and I think Phillip was helping him, too. It was nice to see that Phillip was feeling better, seeing as though he didn't come with us on our journey since he was feeling under the weather.

"King Peter, King Edmund, it is nice to see you again, though I wish it was under different circumstances," Phillip said as Edmund mounted him.

"As do I, Phillip," Edmund responded. I took one look at my brother. His face appeared expressionless, but in that I could see everything I needed to. He was scared. Nervous. Worried. Anything you could incorporate with fear. But I also saw a sense of strength. Authority. Willingness. And I could never be more proud of him. I clapped him on the shoulder and he looked over at me, giving me a quick half-smile. I returned it, wondering if he was sizing me up just as I had done moments before with him. Then I looked at the army and saw Oreius staring intently at me from the front of the pack. He was waiting on my command, the command that would eventually determine the fate of Narnia. I unsheathed Rhindon and pointed it towards the centaur. Edmund mirrored my action, and Oreius did the same. And that was it. The rest of our army held up their weapons, and for us, the war had already begun.

It seemed to take hours to get to the edge of the woods where we knew the soldiers were, and hopefully we would be catching them off guard. I sent up a prayer to Aslan – what else was there to do at a time like this- as my eyes scanned the expanse of trees. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, and I was immediately beginning to think that maybe fighting in the dark wasn't the best idea after all. And then things started unfolding very quickly.

One by one the Calormene and Telmarine soldiers began to emerge from the woods, the look on each of their faces impassive, except for the single devious smile each was wearing. The archers had their bows at the ready, ready to shoot each of them, but something was stopping them. They were wearing looks of awe, and I looked at our frontline, who wore the same look, even Oreius. And then I stared at our enemies, figuring out what was stopping our army.

It was hard to explain what was happening, to be completely honest. Before my eyes the soldiers were standing there, but the strangest thing was occurring. It was almost as if their flesh was peeling off of them, like a ripe banana, only a million times more disturbing. And then a purple smoke engulfed their bodies, shielding us from seeing what was going on behind it. Within seconds it had disappeared, and standing before us now was something completely different than any of us would have ever expected. There were hags, Minotaurs, dwarves, werewolves… anything terrifying that you could think of. And then it hit me. There were never any Calormenes and Telmarines that were against us. They were _her_ followers-the White Witch's- and they had been disguising themselves using dark magic all along. _Oh, dear Aslan. _They had tricked us, and they had tricked us well. But the biggest surprise of all was yet to come.

The army of dark creatures parted the way, letting their leader be revealed from the shadows. The small figure made its way to the front, and my breath caught in my throat. I felt like the largest idiot in all of Narnia, and I heard Edmund gasp. This was the biggest deception in Narnian history, and we all fell for it. Their leader was Telula.

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**A/N:** Dun dun duhhhh.... Well, did you guys see that one coming??? Hmmm... :) Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyways! Pleaaase review! :D


	18. Of War and Prayers

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

First of all, I've gotta say thanks for sticking with this story. I feel so bad that I didn't update quickly!!! I've been faced with a lot of unexpected things these last couple months and they have been slowing me down. But everything is better now, which means I should have more time to write!!! :) And my birthday was a couple days ago so I was busy with that, too. But I apologize all the same.

kaye- hmmm... You'll just have to find out... :)

Azula- Thank you so much for reading!

kutlessgurl90- I'm glad you're looking forward to this chapter... I'm looking forward to seeing what people think of it. :)

teke- I'm happy you liked the twist!

may- Thanks for reading and I'm glad you like it!

Okay, well here is chapter 18 and I hope it's worth the wait!!! :D

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**Chapter 18:** Of War and Prayers

My eyes widened to twice their size. Telula?! Their leader was _Telula_? But she saved my life! She didn't let me drown in that river… and she was so sweet… and she… My mind trailed off as I tried to make sense of the situation. This just didn't add up. I opened my mouth to say something, but Edmund beat me to it.

"Telula? How could you betray us like this?" He sounded just as surprised as I felt. The dwarf only laughed, but it wasn't the sweet and cheery laugh that I had remembered. It was cold and shrill, and the look in her eyes was dark and sinister.

"Betray you? I was never with you in the first place!" she scoffed.

"Then why did you save me in the river? Why did you let me live if you wanted to take over Narnia? Wouldn't it have been easier for you to just eliminate me then?" I questioned, trying to keep my tone composed as my mind raced out of control. She pretended to ponder on that for a moment.

"Oh, I just thought it would be more, let's say, _satisfying_, for me to see you die like this. You'll watch all your soldiers perish for a lost cause. Besides, I had to get close to you to figure out your war plans. You were just a pawn in my game, feeding me valuable information every second you spoke. Don't you see the beauty in that plan? And do you honestly think you can beat me and my dark creatures? We will defeat you in a matter of minutes, Peter. And you'll sit there and watch them die, watch your _siblings_ die, and then you yourself will die. And where's Aslan at now, Peter? He isn't here to save you this time, is he?" she explained. A cruel grin covered her once innocent face. My hand involuntarily tightened on Rhindon. How dare she speak of Aslan like that? How dare she threaten the lives of my siblings and people? She stared at me, waiting for me to respond.

"I feel awful for you, Telula. I truly do. You have betrayed us in a way that is unforgivable. Now we see where your allegiance lies. I pray that Aslan will have mercy on you after this war is over and we have kept what is ours: Narnia. You will have a tough battle ahead of you, and you will bear heavy losses. But don't forget that this is your fault. You are killing those around you, those that you don't even know, and you are forcing me to do the same." I declared. She only laughed it off, just like I knew she would. I began to pray silently.

_Aslan, I know you're listening to me as I cry out to you. I don't know where you are, and I don't understand why you aren't here, but I know you have your reasons for what you do. But please, Great Lion, don't forsake us. Keep the Narnians safe; keep my siblings safe. I don't care what happens to me, but keep those around me away from harm. If it is in your will that we shall continue to rule Narnia, then we shall. But if it is in your will that we don't… well then I wouldn't understand but I know that what you do is for the best. I love you, Aslan, and please watch over us. _

I didn't know what was going to happen as I eyed the enemy. They were all standing still-incredibly still- almost as if a curse was set upon them to never move again. I couldn't even see them draw breath. Edmund gave me a nervous glance but I kept my gaze stone hard. My hands were trembling and I was sweating in my armor. I was scared… unbelievably scared. I couldn't let Edmund see me like this… it would just make him feel even more ill at ease. I would be ashamed if anyone saw me like this, whether if they were my siblings or not. I couldn't let their hope falter just because I appeared frightened. I kept my eyes locked on the enemy even as my soldiers looked at me with pleading eyes. The whole 'Peter-Pevensie-English-schoolboy' thing was creeping back into my restless mind. I stole a quick glance down at Rhindon but this time I didn't see Aslan staring back at me. I could feel my heart beating rapidly against my chest and my ribs hurt from the force. And then the first arrow of our horrid war flew, piercing one of our fauns straight in the forehead.

"For Narnia!" Edmund yelled. I rose up Rhindon, and our battle had officially begun.

_Aslan, be with us. _

Bill rushed forward and I was already in combat with a wolf, one that looked a lot like Sir Farnin. Rhindon slashed straight against his chest and the blood was already beginning to leave a stain on the tip of my faithful sword. I winced. I hated killing, whether it was people… animals… followers of the White Witch… I didn't care who they were. The sheer fact that I was ending a creature's life was enough to drive me into deep disappointment in myself and my actions.

I turned my head in the opposite direction and came face to face with a werewolf who was smiling deviously, his sharp, pointed fangs dripping with saliva. He pounced, nearly knocking me off my horse. I drove Rhindon into his stomach and he let out a strangled yelp before taking his last breath. His blood spilled all over my armor, leaving a metallic smell as a reminder.

I looked around for Telula, but she was nowhere to be found. It was almost as if since the battle had started she had disappeared into thin air. That was either a good thing, or very dangerous. But I had other things to be concerned about at the moment… like the harpy that was diving straight down at my head. I thrust Rhindon up as quickly as I could and caught him in the neck. The creature fell on top of me, keeping me from seeing my surroundings and crushing me with its weight. I pulled it off my body and pushed it to the ground, even more blood staining my armor.

My eyes searched the perimeter for my siblings. I had to know that they were all right and not out there lying on the battlefield injured… or worse. I caught sight of Lucy first. She was high up in a tree with a bow and quiver. She was almost undetectable. If I had been in any other position in the general area, I probably would not have seen her. Saydin was below her on the ground, killing anything within ten feet of the tree.

Next I saw Edmund. He was battling a hag and winning, I might add. There was blood staining his armor, too. Phillip looked relatively unscathed except for a scrape on his left shank. Nothing appeared too serious, and I prayed it stayed that way. Susan was about twenty feet away from me on the hill with some of the other archers. She was in front and shouting out orders, and she looked satisfactory.

_Thank you, Aslan. _

Just then a wolf appeared out of nowhere and pounced on top of Bill, looking me straight in the eyes, teeth bared. He lunged at my face, but not before Rhindon nearly cut him in half. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my foot, but it was nothing I couldn't handle for the time being. I looked down and saw a dwarf's knife protruding from the top of my boot. I pushed the remains of the wolf off of me and removed the blade with a wince. I didn't know where the dwarf had gone, which either meant he lost interest in me or someone else had taken care of him. I was guessing the latter.

Bill suddenly veered to the left, leaving me holding tightly onto the reigns. I turned, and where my head would have been merely seconds before was a very angry looking harpy. It had just been shot down by one of our archers. I patted Bill's neck. He was such a trustworthy steed. Suddenly something wrapped around my midsection and I was forcibly pulled backwards. The impact knocked the helmet off of my head; these days I wondered why I even bothered to put it on. Somehow it always seemed to end up on the ground rather than stay where it should… but that didn't matter at the moment.

I couldn't breathe. Strong arms were wrapped around me, literally squeezing the life out of my body. I looked up into the face of a Minotaur, a large smile taking over its features. My ribs were burning and there were tears forming in the corners of my eyes from the pain. I could feel the bones cracking for a second time in the past week, something I wished I would never feel again for the rest of my life. Black dots were staining my blurred vision. And then I came to the realization: I was going to die in the arms of a Minotaur. I hoped that my siblings weren't watching this. I couldn't fight back; its grip was too strong. I was getting lightheaded. I knew I didn't have much time left.

_Aslan, lead me to your Country. Be with my people throughout the remainder of this fight. Don't let more have the same fate as I,_ I prayed. Suddenly the grip on my midsection loosened, and then went away altogether. I found myself falling backwards and lying on the Minotaur, who had an ax lodged in its head. My lungs screamed for air as I desperately breathed it in. Each inhale killed my ribs. The Minotaur had just ruined my last few days of recovery. My entire body was sore. I rolled over onto the ground and looked up into the eyes of Oreius. He nodded, and I knew he had been the one that had saved me. I nodded back, too deprived of air to form a word. I stood up shakily, barely able to fend off a dwarf that had charged at me. Every movement erupted a new pain in my side. But at least I was still alive.

_Thank you, Aslan._

I shook my head, trying to clear it of the confusion and pain. I looked around for Bill, but he was nowhere in sight. I hoped that he was all right. Just then a werewolf appeared in front of my face, almost as if he had been drawn out of thin air. He wielded a sword about the same size as Rhindon. His eyes narrowed and glinted with challenge. His weapon aimed the first strike at my chest. I parried and drove Rhindon up. But he had anticipated my strike to his head and jumped backwards, easily missing the blow. He laughed, quickly circling around me. I was having trouble keeping up with him due to my injury; my ribs were really slowing me down.

The werewolf dove deep, appearing to slash at my legs. But I knew better than that. He was really trying to throw me off guard so he could drive his sword into my stomach as I bent down to stop his blow. (I knew what he was doing because I myself had successfully used this method before.) So instead of bending over to parry his sword, I jumped over him at the last second and sunk Rhindon into his back. The werewolf went limp as I removed my sword from his dead body.

I stood there for a moment, assessing the visible damage around me. Countless numbers of creatures – both Narnian and Telula's followers- lay motionless on the ground. I closed my eyes for a quick second, not wanting to look at the destruction. I could feel a silent tear rolling down my cheek. My people were dying. My people were _dying_, and I was still here, very much alive. It just didn't seem fair. Nothing about this war was fair; nothing about war was _ever_ fair. But at least they were in Aslan's Country now… away from this pain… away from this devastation…

I was brought out of my thoughts by something nudging my shoulder. I drew Rhindon up, but breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that Bill's nose was incredibly close to my face. I hopped back on him with a wince and he galloped quickly in the direction of more soldiers. His actions seemed to be urgent, like I needed to see something as soon as possible. After a few seconds I realized what that something was.

About twenty feet in the distance was Edmund battling a Minotaur and a dwarf at the same time... without a sword. The dwarf was closing in on him and pushing him closer to the grasp of the Minotaur, who was smiling deceitfully. I urged Bill to go faster. When we were about five feet away I jumped off of Bill and ran to my brother, who looked relieved to see me. I tossed him a dagger I had in my belt and we stood back to back; I was facing the Minotaur. I felt Edmund lunge at the dwarf and I prayed it would end well. I held Rhindon out protectively in front of me, the blood from my last kill still gleaming on the end. The Minotaur swung his ax at me. I dived to the left and rolled on the ground, avoiding the blow but killing my ribs. I gingerly rubbed them. Before I knew it the creature was standing right above me, its blade just inches from my head. I kicked his legs out from under him and rolled away before he could crush me with his weight. I pulled myself up as quickly as possible and stabbed the Minotaur in the back.

The pain in my ribs was really catching up with me. I clenched my teeth and looked around for my brother. The dwarf had just fallen and my dagger was stuck in its side.

"Edmund, where's your sword?" I called out.

"I dunno! I lost it somewhere back there!" he shouted, pulling the dagger out of the dwarf's skin. I hopped back onto Bill and started riding in the opposite direction. Suddenly I heard Edmund yell out to me.

"Peter, look out!"

I turned around but it was too late. A harpy swooped down and struck me in the chest with its body. The force of the blow knocked me off of Bill and I lost my grip on Rhindon. I fell and the ground came to meet me very quickly. The back of my head collided with a rather large rock and the rest of my body slammed against the hard earth. All my breath left my lungs with a whoosh. I felt like I couldn't move. Pain coursed through every inch of my body, and my head was spinning. The edge of my vision was rimmed with black. And then the harpy jumped on my chest, whatever air I had retrieved leaving my body once more.

The last thing I remember was a flash of gold fur leaping over me, pouncing on the harpy. And then Telula was rushing towards me, a concerned expression on her face. After that, everything went black.

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**A/N:** What do you guys think? Did you like it? Hate it? Please review and let me know what you have to say! :)


	19. Relief?

Disclaimer: I do not own The Chronicles of Narnia.

Well. It's been a while, hasn't it? I can't apologize enough for not updating sooner. But I haven't given up! I'm thinking there will only be one chapter left after this... it's kind of exciting! Thank you everyone for the reviews... they mean so much! :) Thanks for sticking with this story, and if you're just finding this, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy! Well, here- long overdue- is chapter 19! :D

_I was lying in the middle of the battlefield, the war still raging on around me. I tried to stand up, but gravity was working against me, keeping me planted firmly on the ground. I felt no pain, though, which I thought was rather strange. I _had_ been injured, hadn't I? At any rate, my eyes searched desperately for my siblings, which was slightly difficult since I was still lying on the ground. Suddenly I heard a shrill scream that could only belong to Susan. I turned my head in the direction that it came from. She was surrounded by two werewolves and a dwarf. They were forcing her backwards and she soon was backed up against a tree with nowhere else to go. _

_I tried to get up again with no avail. I had to help her! What was keeping me down? Was some kind of spell cast around me, keeping me stationary? Susan screamed again. The dwarf had drawn a knife and was holding it to her neck. Where were the other Narnians? Why wasn't anyone helping her? Couldn't they see that their gentle queen was in peril? I looked around, trying to scout out a fellow Narnian. All I saw were hundreds of Telula's followers, except one faun who bared an exact resemblance to Mr. Tumnus. He was being pushed towards me between a Minotaur and a werewolf, with a harpy following overhead. _

_"Don't hurt my kings and queens, dear sirs. I beg of you! Let them go free! You've already taken every other Narnian life besides my own!" Tumnus pleaded, tears running down his face. The Minotaur only laughed and kicked him in the stomach, bringing my dear friend to his knees. The werewolf then kicked him in the head, and Mr. Tumnus slumped down only a couple feet away from me. The Minotaur then pulled out his ax, and Mr. Tumnus was no more. I closed my eyes as the tears flowed freely. His two killers grinned as they stepped in my direction, but they didn't seem to register the fact that I was here. The Minotaur stepped right on top of my stomach, and the werewolf stepped on top of my legs. I didn't feel a thing, and they weren't even fazed by it. Was I even here? Susan screamed again, taking me from my thoughts._

_The dwarf's knife was pressing into her neck and I could see a trickle of blood start to make its way down her pale skin. She was crying and trembling with fear, as was I. I yelled out in anger and tried to force my body upwards. Nothing. I was stuck on the ground while my sister feared for her life._

_"Susan!" I screamed, trying to cause some sort of distraction. None of them turned my way, not even Susan. And then it happened… Susan Pevensie was gone. Sobs wracked my body as my sister fell to the ground, never to rise again. I turned away, not able to look at the horrifying scene. I wasn't the only person upset, though._

_"No! Susan!" came Lucy's cry. I turned to the direction of my youngest sibling's voice. She was hoisted over the shoulder of a werewolf and being carried like a sack of leaves. She thrashed around and was kicking and beating on the wolf, trying to get free._

_"Let… Me… Go!" she yelled, striking her captor between each word. He only laughed._

_"Why do you fight, silly girl? You know you'll never win. Still trying to be valiant in your final moments, eh?" the wolf asked. _

_"Well, Aslan did give me that name," she retorted. The wolf growled and backhanded her. _

_"Don't you lay a hand on her!" I yelled. Again I struggled to get up. Again it didn't work. _

_"How dare you speak to me in that tone, girl? How dare you speak that name in my presence?" he questioned._

_"Why should I not? Aslan is the true ruler of Narnia. You can take my siblings and I out of the equation, but you still have to answer to him, the Great Lion," Lucy answered. The wolf slapped her again._

_"What did I just tell you, little girl?"_

_Lucy fell silent but glared at the creature. Then the wolf smiled. _

_"Oh look, Lucy. There's someone here to see you," he said. Lucy's eyebrows knit together and then her eyes widened as she was promptly dropped on the ground. The wolf clapped its paws and merely a second later a man was approaching them. _

_"Hello, Lucy. What a pleasure to meet with you again," The man had a deep Calormene accent. Lucy screamed. The voice belonged to Arahdah. _

_"Run, Lucy! Run!" I yelled. My heart was racing as I watched the events unfold. I tried and tried to get up, tried to reach my youngest sibling. I couldn't relive what had just happened with Susan. But my body wouldn't budge. I cried out in frustration. _

_"Oh, little, little Lucy. You were such a good girl. Such a faithful helper to me. It's a shame that I have to kill you. Don't worry, it won't hurt for long," Arahdah declared. Tears filled my sister's eyes as she tried to crawl away. It did her no good, for the wolf just scooped her up and restrained her arms. _

_"Say goodbye, Lucy." said the demented Calormen. Lucy closed her eyes, and I couldn't watch. I turned my eyes away, they overflowing with tears. I couldn't breathe when I heard her scream. My body shook with anger and despair. _

_"Lucy!" I yelled, like the sound of her name would bring her back. I screamed louder because I knew it wouldn't. _

"_NO!" I heard Edmund scream. I turned my head in his direction. He was restrained by a Minotaur and was trying desperately to break free from its grasp. He was kicking and thrashing, but the creature was too strong. Tears were flowing down his face as well, but the Minotaur only smiled, elbowing my only brother in the gut. Edmund struggled to regain his breath between the sobs and the physical pain. My brother looked spent. His face was pale and his upper leg was bleeding freely, staining his entire pant leg. The only thing keeping him upright was the grip the Minotaur had on his trembling arm. Edmund took a deep breath and yelled out again. My brother was broken. The Minotaur shoved him to the ground. Edmund groaned._

_"Not so high and mighty now, are we, little king?" The Minotaur's voice vaguely reminded me of someone I once knew, but I couldn't put a name to the voice. The Minotaur laughed, and the noise was high and shrill… a sound that should not belong to a creature so immense and beastly. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as the events in front of me began to unfold. The Minotaur's flesh began to peel and smoke, much like the other creatures had earlier in the day. And then the sight before me made me cringe. Jadis, the White Witch, was standing where the Minotaur had stood merely seconds ago. A wide grin took over her face, and a menacing look was set in her eyes. _

_"Edmund, it's so nice to see you again," she said, mock gentleness in her tone. She knelt down beside him. Edmund tried to crawl away, but his leg stopped him from getting anywhere. Jadis placed a hand on my brother's shoulder. I saw the instant fear touch his eyes, and then spread all across his facial features._

_"Get off of him!" I screamed, desperate that she'd hear me, desperate that she'd stay away from him who she'd hurt in so many ways already. She didn't turn in my direction. Instead, she stroked her fingers through my brother's hair, a kind look on her face._

_"Oh Edmund, it's such a shame to see what you've become. You had so much potential when I first met you. I would have made you a great king, Edmund, much better than the one you are now. You would have been High King… my High King. How does that sound to you? High King Edmund, the Magnificent. It has a nice ring, doesn't it? A much more fitting name than King Edmund the Just. You would make a far more outstanding king than your brother, Peter. Don't you ever get jealous of him? Don't you ever wish you had been crowned High King rather than him? You could take his place. I can make that happen. After all, isn't it his fault you're in this mess in the first place? He's the one that called for war. He's the one that told Oreius to prepare your troops. It's his fault your sisters are dead. Can't you see that he isn't fit to be a king? He deserves to be punished, Edmund. I could rule as your queen. Together we can make sure your brother suffers for all the trouble he's caused Narnia. I can make anything you want a possibility. Just take my hand, Edmund. It's all here. Everything you've ever wanted is waiting for you," Jadis declared, stroking my brother's cheek while holding out her hand._

_I watched in horror as Edmund's eyes searched the Witch's face, and then his gaze fell to her outstretched hand. He seemed to be mulling over her offer._

_"Go on, Edmund, take it. Together we will be the best rulers Narnia has ever seen. Peter will be long forgotten about. It wasn't so long ago that you wanted Peter out of your life anyway, remember? Now you can have that. You'll never have to watch him worry about you, never have to listen to him say how scared he was when you got a little scratch in battle. There will be no more overprotective big brother to answer to. Doesn't that sound nice?" she urged. Edmund appeared in a daze._

_"Don't listen to her, Ed! She doesn't know what she's talking about!" I yelled, though I knew it wouldn't do any good. Suddenly a certain twinkle set in my brother's eyes. _

_"You could never be a better ruler than Peter, Witch. I'd rather die than have anything to do with you." Edmund spat. He pushed her away and staggered to his feet, trying to run. He didn't get far. _

_"It's a pity you declined me, little king. Now you must pay," Jadis declared. Instantly the White Witch's wand appeared in her hand and she thrust it at my brother. As it pierced through the midsection of Edmund's armor, Jadis disappeared, as did her wand. But the wound was still fresh. Ed toppled to the ground. _

_"No! Edmund! No!" My voice tore through the air and then hitched in my throat, making me choke on a sob. In one last attempt I tried to stand up. To my utter surprise, nothing stopped me this time. I ran faster than I ever had before. I slid down next to Edmund. _

_"Ed, Edmund, please, please wake up." I took his hand and pushed back his hair. "Aslan, let him wake up. Please!" My voice bellowed and I was shocked that the ground hadn't begun to shake. Tears streamed down my face and fell onto his bloodstained armor. I lowered my head and wept into his shoulder. Suddenly I felt my brother stir._

_"Ed?" I asked. I raised myself so I was looking down at him again. Two tired brown eyes opened to stare up at me. _

_"Peter?" he wondered. I squeezed his hand._

_"I'm right here, Edmund. Right here," I coaxed. Tears started to fall from his eyes._

_"Why… why didn't you… help me? Why didn't… why didn't you stop her?" he asked._

_"I tried, Edmund. I tried! But I couldn't. I couldn't do anything! I wanted to stop her, believe me," I stated. Ed didn't seem to understand._

_"Why didn't you save... our sisters? Why didn't you help them?" he questioned. I was now crying harder than ever. _

_"Edmund, I tried! But I couldn't move! I couldn't reach them just like I couldn't reach you!" I exclaimed. Ed looked disappointed._

_"I thought you were… magnificent, Peter. I thought you… could do anything. I guess not." he said, glaring at me. And then his eyes closed and he went still._

_"Edmund, no! Edmund, come back! I wanted to save you! I wanted to save all of you!" I cried out. I let go of my brother's hand and ran away. I couldn't stand being there anymore. I hadn't gone far when the sobbing made it impossible to breathe. I sunk to the ground. _

_"Why, Aslan?" I whispered. "Why?" Suddenly a pale face appeared in my blurred vision. _

_"Nice to see you, Peter." The White Witch smiled. _

_I knew no more. _

"Wake up, Peter! Please, get up! You're dreaming, you're dreaming!" came a familiar voice. I was dreaming? No, that wasn't possible. My heart was still racing and my whole body was trembling. And all of that had felt too real. No, I had not been dreaming.

"Come on, Peter, please! It's just a dream! Open your eyes! Please, Peter!" I realized the voice belonged to Edmund. Edmund? How was that possible? Wasn't he… gone? Did I not just witness his terrible death? I felt him take my hand and push my hair back, much like I had done to him in my apparent dream a few minutes ago. His touch felt so real… was he alive? I had to know, had to open my eyes. But they wouldn't budge. They felt too heavy, too weighed down. But I had to know that Edmund was alive... I had to see his brown eyes filled with something other than pain and disappointment.

Aslan, please, let my eyes open, I prayed.

In the next second my eyelids felt different. They were still heavy, but in a sense, they were light as well. I tried opening them again. Little by little, I felt my eyelids begin to part. Everything was out of focus and blurred. I blinked a couple times. I could start to make out some of my surroundings. I realized I was in my room and it was probably afternoon by the amount of sunlight streaming in through the window. But the thing that caught my attention the most was the image of my brother staring down at me, the world's biggest smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, thank Aslan!" Edmund exclaimed. He reached down to my level and pulled me into a hug, weeping into my shoulder. I groaned. My side hurt like mad and I was sore all over, but I didn't care. Edmund was here, and he was alive. That was all that mattered at the moment.

"S- sorry, Peter," he said, immediately pulling away, eyes red and puffy.

"No, it's okay. Come here," I sounded weak. I held out my arms again. No matter how much it hurt, I had to feel him, had to know he was within my grasp. He willingly fell into me. I couldn't help but cry along with him. After a few minutes he pulled away.

"How're you feeling, Pete?" he asked, sniffling and wiping his tears on his sleeve.

"Like I got in a fight with a Minotaur… and the Minotaur won." Ed chuckled.

"Yes, well, that's pretty much how it went, I'm afraid. Of course, that harpy didn't help much either."

"You're telling me. I'll be feeling that one for a while. I'm extremely sore," I said. All the events of the battle came rushing back to me. I could almost feel the vice-like grip the Minotaur had on me, could almost feel the mind-blowing pain as my ribs were re-cracked. And then that harpy knocked me off my horse and I landed straight on my back. No wonder I was so sore.

"Peter, I'm so glad you're awake. You don't know how scared we've been," he stated. Suddenly a thought hit me.

"Where are the girls? Are they okay?" I asked, quickly sitting up. I winced and closed my eyes. Every inch of me hurt in some way or another, whether it was an ache or an all-out pain. Ed put his hand on my shoulder and eased me back down.

"They're fine, Peter. They're fine. You, on the other hand, need to take it easy. You've been out for nearly two days. Your ribs aren't much better than they were a few days ago, no thanks to that Minotaur. You've got a few other injuries, but they're minor and don't need to be worried about." Ed explained.

_Two days? Two days? I've been unconscious for two days? _I could hardly believe it. I took a good look at Edmund. He looked extremely tired. His hair was untidy and there were dark circles under his eyes. I noticed there were bandages wrapped around his arm, too. I gestured towards it.

"What happened to your arm, Edmund?" I wondered. He shrugged.

"It's not a big deal, Pete. Just a nasty sprain from being bucked off Phillip. It's nothing to worry about," he promised. I took his word for it.

"Ed, what happened after I passed out?" I questioned.

"Oh Peter, I wish you could've seen it. I was getting nervous. Things weren't looking exactly bright for us Narnians. Just when I thought all was lost – when I saw you get knocked off Bill by that harpy- the most remarkable thing happened. Aslan came out of nowhere and leapt on the harpy. He let out a roar, -you should've heard it, Pete!- and everything changed. The creatures started to retreat; the whole lot of them just started to run away. It was incredible! We advanced on them and ended up either killing or taking most as prisoners. Those captured are dealing with Aslan as we speak. Oh, Peter, it was amazing!" Ed exclaimed.

"And the wounded Narnians?" I asked.

"They're being taken care of in the infirmary or have already been treated by Lucy's cordial."

"And the fallen Narnians?"

"Their families are being cared for and burial preparations are in progress."

I nodded. It sounded as if my family had thought of everything while I was out of commission.

"Pete?" Ed asked. His voice sounded uneasy.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Did… umm… did you have another dream? Y'know, the kind that you had when we were in the woods?"

My gaze fell to the ground.

"Yes… yes I did, Ed."

"I had a feeling. You were thrashing around and calling out for me and the girls, and well, to be frank, it didn't sound very pleasant."

"It wasn't, Ed. Not a bit."

"I won't ask you to talk about it."

"Thanks, Edmund." Just then his eyes lit up.

"Hey! I bet you would like to see our sisters, wouldn't you?"

"More than you could believe. Where are they, anyways?"

"Well, Lucy's in the infirmary still tending to the wounded while Susan is taking care of the official responsibilites. We've been taking turns watching over you. We all wanted to stay with you until you woke up, but Aslan thought it best if we alternated. I best go fetch them. I'm sure Aslan wouldn't mind if we all spent some time with you, seeing as though you're finally awake," Ed explained. He seemed a bit hesitant to leave, like he was afraid I wouldn't be here when he got back.

"Go on, Ed. I'm not going anywhere," I stated. He smiled sheepishly and turned red as he left the room. When I heard the door shut I sighed lightly and closed my eyes. They were alive… all three of them were alive and well. I felt a smile play on my lips. Never had I been more relieved in my life. What would I have ever done without my siblings? How could I have lived with myself if they weren't here with me? I thanked Aslan many times over as I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling. This was over; the battle was over and we had come out victorious. I thanked Aslan again, for we couldn't have made it much farther without him. After a few more minutes of silence I heard my door open.

"Peter!" I turned and saw Lucy enter my room. Her face was bright and happier than I'd seen it in a long while. She ran to me and jumped onto my bed, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her close; I didn't care how much it hurt.

"Oh Peter, you're awake! You're awake! I just knew Aslan was going to let you be alright!" She buried her head into my shoulder and pulled me tighter. I held her there for a long time. I didn't want to let go… she didn't seem to want to either. Eventually she pulled away, but she stayed beside me and nestled into my outstretched arm.

"Peter, it's so good to see you awake! I know it's only been a couple of days, but I've missed talking to you, and I've missed seeing your eyes," she stated. I smiled.

"I've missed you too, Lu. I'm so glad you're alright," I said.

"I'm glad you're alright. I was quite scared for a while, when I first saw you, anyways. I gave you some of the cordial, but you didn't wake up. I was getting really worried but Aslan just said that you needed to rest," she explained.

"Well, Aslan was right. But I'm okay now, just a bit sore and a little tired."

"Do you want to go back to sleep? I can leave if you want me to," Lucy offered.

"No, I'm not that tired, Lu. Plus I've been out for nearly two days, I think it's time for me to get up," I stated. I slowly eased myself into a sitting position and cried out from the pain that erupted in my ribs. I was really getting annoyed with that. Lucy put some pillows behind my back and rubbed my arm.

"I'm really sorry about your ribs. Edmund told me what that minotaur did. And they were just beginning to heal up. It's such a shame…" Lucy trailed off.

"Thanks, Lu," I said. Just then my door opened again. In came Susan and following close behind her was Edmund.

"Peter." Susan sounded relieved and there was a large grin on her face. She rushed over and pulled me into an embrace. I held her tight.

"It's so good to see you… all of you," I declared, gesturing to my other two siblings. I felt Lucy sneak in between Su and I and then Edmund drape his arm across my shoulders. We sat there for a long moment, and I couldn't say that there weren't any tears shed before we pulled away. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt relaxed. It felt like an immense weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I didn't want to let go of any of them, I just wanted to stay in that moment as long as possible. But all good things must come to an end, for there was a knock on my door.

"I'll get it," Ed put in, standing up. I figured it was Oreius or Mr. Tumnus, seeing as though they were my closest friends at the Cair. I guessed I was wrong when I heard the startled tone of my brother's voice.

"Oh, umm, just a second. I'm sorry… we haven't explained it to Peter yet," he said. My eyebrows knit together.

"Who is it, Ed?" I asked.

"Well, I figure we should explain a few things first, before I let her in. I don't want to startle you, Pete," He paused.

"Well, go on, then," I declared, sounding a bit impatient. Her… her… who was her?

"Remember when we sent Telula out on that mission to spy on our enemies?" he questioned. How could I forget? She _had_ betrayed us. My eyes narrowed at the thought.

"Yes, Ed. I do."

"Well, Telula never came back."

**A/N: **Well, what do you think? I hope you liked it! Please review and let me know your thoughts! :) I don't know when I will update next, but I can assure you it WON'T be as long as last time. :P


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